


Waiting for a Coincidence

by MistyGish



Series: Veridicality [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Dark Past, Demonic Possession, Demons Are Assholes, Established Relationship, F/M, Gen, Mystery, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-12 14:07:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 50
Words: 153,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18012362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistyGish/pseuds/MistyGish
Summary: Okay, here's the sequel to The Mercy of Fortune. If you haven't, it's probably best to read because otherwise, this won't make a lot of sense. There's also a bit of back story littered in Why Won't You Stay (the first two chapters anyway). This one takes place after 'Home'. On with the show!





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The clatter of glasses and swell of voices filled the bar with a sort of mist, a dingy ambiance. It didn't assault the senses in this particular bar. It washed the room in warmth. A haze of smoke settled with in the areas of the room, but the acrid scent did drift over the entire bar. The marred tables and bar top were all too familiar. While it looked like a dozen similar bars, it felt like hers. It was soothing in some way to Mavis Singer's jangled nerves.

They needed to be settled right then. Perhaps whiskey and isolation weren’t the answer, which was what brought her to the bar rather than staying home. She attempted not to remind herself that this was just whiskey and isolation somewhere else. She knew why she felt off kilter and it annoyed her to no end. Dean Winchester. The man was like a virus. He permeated her system and the more she attempted not to think about him, the more she did. He kept calling her.

If he didn't try to stay in contact with her so much, it would have been easy to forget. Easier she hoped. Okay, she thought, she did enjoy the calls on some level. A lot of levels. But this was not what she was after. She wasn’t ready to deal with any of the emotions he brought up in her.

She tipped the beer back, looking at her notebook with a small amount of disdain. Usually when disenchantment set in, she retreated to her 'normal life'. There was none of this melancholy drinking alone in a backwater bar. Except this time. She couldn't even pretend there was a good reason. No, it was Dean. He was like a bad song that got caught in her head. Now that song just rolled over and over, driving her mad. He was her very own 'Little Spanish Flea'.

With a sigh, she signaled the waitress for another beer. She didn't want to go home, not yet. Frankly, she was satisfied with getting shitfaced. She even considered the possibility of occupying her time with the least gap-toothed man in the bar. Slim pickings tonight, she thought but their odds might improve the more she drank. She missed him. She goddamn missed Dean Winchester. That was just completely unfair. A growl nearly erupted from her lips as she picked up the phone to listen to that damned message again

* * *

6 Hours Earlier

At this point, the questionable decor and underlying feeling of grime did not faze Dean, if they ever had. He had more years under his belt jumping from motel to motel than he had living in a house. He knew the sights, sounds, and smells of a bottom dollar motel. It took his brother a little more getting used to; Stanford had domesticated him some. But for Dean, homes seemed strange, not uncomfortable but they carried the idea of a life he just couldn't have. Besides here there was free ice and if they were lucky, magic fingers.

Even after throwing his bag on the bed, laying salt lines and unpacking a bit he realized something was still off however. Something was missing. Sam fell into line, bringing the weapons he thought they might use or needed routine cleaning. Dean bit back a growl when he realized what he really wanted was to call Mae. Goddamn. She was like a freakin' addiction. He was determined that he wouldn't call her. The girl wasn't losing sleep over not talking to him. He knew she wasn't exactly receptive towards the whole thing. Frankly, it was like pulling teeth. But every so often, he’s hit a sweet spot, when she would laugh, and she wasn’t defensive.

He wanted to chase that feeling. He wished he could figure out how to get that to last longer than it did. If there were a magic word or something, anything, he could do to get her to ease. He hated that he was so twisted up over her, that a woman could occupy his mind like this. He also hated that he didn't have a plan for it either. Nothing was set up in his mind. He wasn’t trying to seduce her or convince her of some elaborate lie to get her to go back to his motel with her.

She wasn’t some kind of monster or demon he needed to put down. And those were the two major areas of his expertise. All Dean knew was that he wanted to spend time with her. Wherever or however they ended up was okay. Anywhere was better than where they had been. He had her talking now even if it was awkward. And boy was it awkward sometimes. He would say something, or she would censor herself and they would lose that nice smooth rhythm they had normally.

He hadn't been looking for these feelings again. It was not too long ago that he was convinced she’d betrayed him and that he had no other choice but to hate her. Seeing her again sparked something in him, awakened some long-forgotten feeling. Was it love? Was it desire? He wasn’t sure. The depth of his experience was only focused in one of those areas and it certainly didn’t match up with what he felt now.

Dean Winchester did not search the world for some long-lost love or a deep connection with a woman. He lived his life in the complete opposite mentality. And that was safe and easy. But there she was. Even when she wasn't there, Mae was there. He thought about her at the most inopportune times. It had to be some sort of revenge she was having for all the years they spent in anger.

Lost in thought, he had flopped on the bed and let his eyes drift close. He was still aware of every move his brother made as he set up to do more research. It seemed like a go nowhere sort of case but when Sammy got something stuck in his head, he was stubborn. Cracking open one eye, Dean's mental picture was made real. Sam sat at the table, laptop open as he scanned between the websites and the newspaper articles. Licking his lips, Dean tested the waters. "Find anything yet?"

Annoyance was more than evident in his brother's eyes. "Maybe if you were helping out Dean."

His face crinkled thoughtfully before he produced a trademark shit eating grin. "Nah… I couldn't do that to you. Take away the thing you love most?"

Sam scoffed. "Yeah, thanks for that."

"C'mon dude. We've hit a wall."

His brother may have been right. There was something going on in this town but damned if they were coming up empty handed. The information was spotty at best. Sam knew the truth was in the details, he just couldn't find them. Dean was no help. The man was distracted. The past few weeks, come to think of it. He was on autopilot. Anyone could have seen that it matched up with the increase in Dean's phone calls.

It had taken Sam a while to put it all together, figure out just whom Dean was talking to so often. His new perchance for trying to hook up with random redheaded women only served to highlight the recent interest he had for a certain ginger haired hunter. It made sense on some level. Mae and Dean just went together. It was easy to see them that way. The way they interacted rivaled most studies on human interaction. Still, someone would have to be blind not to see there was something between them.

Dean didn't get close to a lot of women, none really. Mae was Dean's first love. Moreover, issues aside, they seemed well suited for each other. So it wasn't that much of a shock when Dean asked, "Maybe we could use some help?"

"Help? From who?"

Dean shrugged. "We could call Pastor Jim or Caleb."

"Yeah, we could."

Damn, Sammy wasn't helping at all. There weren't that many hunters out there. "I just think maybe another set of eyes might be good."

"Sure. Any particular set of eyes you had in mind? Maybe a pair of stormy blue ones? Maybe lots of red hair and a pretty smile. You know, maybe it's not eyes you're interested in. I think it might be a pair of –oomph—" The book clipped his shoulder and despite Dean's glower, he laughed. "Dude, just call her!"

The older Winchester frowned but relief filled his eyes.

"Dean," his brother's tone softened, "If you think she could help us then go ahead."

Sam's voice bordered on that all too emotional 'get the suspect to talk' tone he used, as if he were about to bridge something Dean had yet to figure out completely. Although knowing his brother wouldn't turn down another set of hands, Dean felt more embolden to reach out to the maddening woman. He got off the bed and headed out to the parking lot to the walking music of his brother's laugh. Oh, he so owed Sammy a beat down for making fun of him over this, Dean thought.

Now sitting in the car, he deliberated. They didn’t really need the help and Mae had led him to believe she was working on something big but hadn’t explained what it was. She’d have reason to turn down the proposal, He and his brother could hunt just about anything. And Sammy was falling back into the game.

He missed her. He wanted to spend time with her for no other reason. After so many years, one chance encounter and hunt had his brain cooking up elaborate scenarios about with her. He knew not to get his hopes up since he was currently pulling the weight of reconnecting them. He knew it would not be perfect but damned if he didn't want her all the same.

So, he called her. Disappointment touched his features when he got her voicemail and realized he would have to figure out what to tell her to get her to come to Idaho.

* * *

One fidget and then another. It went on for the longest time and it was putting Sam on edge. Dean was never this jumpy and unsettled. These days there was only one reason his brother was ever this antsy and it was Mae. Mavis Singer was a thorn in the Dean's side, maybe more of an obsession. Sam had no desire to get into the reasons behind the fixation.

Something had changed between the two during that night he was out cold. Dean hadn’t given him any more information on what had transpired. Dean wouldn't even begin to talk about it with him. Dean had more than enough reason not to like the woman, but his brother surprised him by doing just the opposite. It wasn’t a bad thing and Sam thought if they could actual make up and forgive each other, perhaps they could be good for each other. He thought his brother and Mae might make a better team than he and Dean did since they were both far more committed to the life than he could ever be. That didn't change his annoyance at his brother's nervous behavior. "Dude!"

Dean's eyes snapped to the taller man. "What?" His tone was just as sharp as his eyes.

"Can you calm the hell down?"

Dean just shot him a dirty look before he stood to pace. He didn't want to embarrass himself by peering out the drapes. Again. He didn’t know if she had even listened to the message and at the risk of looking too eager to see her again, he resisted calling her again. So, he was simply hoping she would reach out or just show up.

* * *

Mae had spent the entire drive trying to talk herself out of meeting up with Dean and Sam. She kept telling herself that she could and should just turn around. It wasn’t that long of a drive back home. Even as she sat in the motel parking lot, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, she thought she could still turn around and leave.

She had already scoped out some of the more appetizing places to eat, topped off her tank, gotten coffee and done everything else she could think of to avoid actually letting Dean know she was in town. More than once, she started the car again with the full intention of turning around and leaving but as quickly as the impulse sprung from her gut, it died back down, and she’d kill the engine.

God, she was nervous. Nervous! Over what, she continued to ask herself. She’d spent weeks trying to gather details, sightings, and any possible research she hadn’t found in the past two years for her ultimate hunt. She hadn’t been on the road in over a month, not since the last job with Sam and Dean. She’d spent more of that time than necessary trying to sort out her thoughts and feelings as well. Usually over a stiff drink. She had been itching for a hunt.

That was why this last call, or rather message, drew her out. She tried to convince herself that was true even though she knew it was only because Dean was asking. And she missed him. He called her at least once a week now, even if it were just a brief meaningless call. Most of them were but she thought they had found a nice easy pattern. Her stomach fluttered indignantly. Eventually she would have to go inside, if only to avoid looking like some creepy parking lot stalker or cheap hooker.

Screwing up her courage, Mae got out of her car and walked up to the room Dean told her they were staying in. She knocked on the door lightly. If no one answered, she could leave and claim they just missed each other. Couldn't she? Although it was in that moment that the door flew open suddenly. Did she gasp? She could have sworn she heard a gasp. Maybe it was Dean. Either way they both stood at the door staring at each other. As she had feared, seeing each other now had this undercurrent of discomfort. Only this time, it wasn't because of the past. It was because of what might lay in the future.

It was primal; it had to be. There was no rational reason behind her attraction to him. Physically, she could understand it. And if it was only physical, if it could only be a physical attraction and draw, there would be no question about whey she would do. God, he was good looking. Rugged but just enough pretty to be dangerous. Careless hair, perpetual stubble and those hazel green eyes made her want to do stupid things with the man. He had a lean body, maintained with the rigors of hunting and balanced by a love of all things bad for him.

It made her want him even more. She knew better. She could count all the ways her attraction and arousal would lead her astray with him. Mae tried to clear her thoughts. This was not helping at all. Why she had to be attracted to him in the first place had to have been a cruel taunting of fate. Dean assumed that she no longer felt these things for him. Or maybe she was just as bad at hiding that from him as she was everything else. Dean had a way of knowing exactly how to chip away at her defenses. She couldn't feel this way about him. It would only lead to problems and there was far too much behind just the physical.

Dean knew he’s been a bit too quick to open the door. However, he’d been anxiously waiting for her to knock on the door. When he heard the throaty growl of her hunter green mustang even made his heart beat faster. Hell. It was then that Dean realized he made a mistake. He never should have called her. Keeping his emotions on check around her would be a struggle. Scratch that, it would be impossible. Maybe it was too soon for them to interact face to face. While he hoped they’d be able to move past their respective hurts, maybe it was too soon. Damn. She took for-fucking-ever to get out of her car. He knew she was sitting out there for at least 20 minutes.

Looking at her now, he frowned as he watched the lovely redhead. She was slim, lanky and pretty. The woman was just striking enough to merit the turn of a head. Her eyes were the perfect shade of blue-gray, soft and big eyes. She had full lips and when she gave it, she had a charming smile. He was rather gob smacked by her. Dean knew she shouldn't have that power, at least not over someone like him. He had hoped by now she wouldn't be able to make his breath catch. Dean didn't even say hello. He was unusually silent, only pausing a moment before pushing past her.

"Where are you going?"

She had asked with a slight glare that he would have seen if he had looked at her. "Out."

Mae frowned as the door to his beloved car slammed shut and the engine roared to life. Dean took no time in pealing out of the lot. "What's his problem?" She asked turning to his brother.

Sam shook his head. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Yeah well I have the feeling it's about me."

The taller Winchester smiled sadly. "You know how Dean can get."

There was no humor behind Mae's laugh, but she flopped down on the bed. "You mean when he acts like a little bitch."

"Exactly." Sam said with a grin.

* * *

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Dean was kicking himself. Seeing Mae again made his heart skip a beat. He was completely unprepared for it and he had no idea what he was doing with her. What was he supposed to do? What had he expected? It wasn’t the rush of uncontrollable nerves. Since they’d last seen each other, he had driven most of their interaction. He’d become used to the resistance and hesitation on her part. On some level, that served to reinforce his drive to get her to open up. He’d done it before, from time to time. It wasn’t a fight so much as a challenge.

He couldn’t explain then, when face with a challenge he wanted, with a woman he was arguably obsessed with, he backed down. He wasn’t willing to admit that he was a bit scared of her. He feared how she would react to him now. He was scared of what happened between them with years of conflicting emotions, anger, and disappointment that came sharply against longing, amusement, attraction, and yes, love.

It played out differently in his mind. On one hand, he thought it was just as likely that she wouldn’t respond to his message and that she wouldn’t show up. That would have been easier to deal with actually. On the other hand, having her show up made him feel less crazy for pursuing her. He didn’t come close to understanding it but there was something there. Something still existed between the pair and he didn’t want to give up on that.

That didn’t stop him from storming off when he saw her and was overcome with that strange sensation of nervousness and need to regather his thoughts. This, however, was and incredibly stupid way to go about it. Dean knew that. He just didn’t listen to the voice in his head advising him to just be normal around Mae. He knew he shouldn’t play any games this one, if he really cared about figuring out things between them.

That however didn’t stop him from finding himself flirting with the first pretty and above all willing blonde at the first bar he could find that late afternoon did not help chase Mavis from his thoughts. He found Mae prettier than this woman but willing was something Mae was not. God, he wanted her. He tried to convince himself that if he could burn off some of the pent-up sexual energy, he might be able to approach Mae with a clear head. That desire to make her his had never really subsided, it had only been subdued when he thought she’d committed some form of infidelity. Knowing she hadn’t, switched things for him in the way he thought about her.

The thing of it was, she was not his type, not really, not for what he was looking for in a woman most nights. Sure, she was pretty and certain, a little more makeup and a push up bra, she would be hot. Well, his brain corrected, she was hot, but she didn't play it up. Little to no makeup, no dangerously revealing clothes, no seductive looks across the bar. She was hard and she didn’t try to play up the soft side many women did. The badass biker chick persona wasn't an illusion; she really was every bit as tough as her various scars and hard eyes would indicate.

There was another side of her; a softer, almost feminine side, maternal even. Few saw that side. He had been lucky enough to know her that way. It wasn't that she was unpleasant; in fact, she could be very amiable. But she wasn't his type. The little blonde in front of him was. Yet the only thing he could think about was Mavis. Suddenly, the taste of his drink left him indifferent as did the blonde woman, whose name he couldn't recall even as her hand traced up his leg. He wanted...well, he wasn’t sure what he wanted but faced with this prospect, he knew it wasn’t this.

This was a very specific power Mae had over him. She had always been able to tie him up in knots and the only thing that got her off his mind for a while was hunting or getting as far away from her as possible. So, the fact that he not only asked her to come here but wanted to come hunt with him didn’t make a lot of sense to him.

He was more than willing to give up a one-night stand with what's-her-face to spend time with Mae. It just wasn't fair. Blondie wasn’t the only woman he’d passed up. For Mavis. Mavis. On one hand, he had quick, easy, meaningless sex with any number of hot chicks and on the other, he had late night TV, an uncomfortable fold out couch bed and a woman who would be in flannel pajama pants and a sweatshirt. She had broken his brain. She was not even trying.

* * *

 

Was it a game or a test, Mae wondered? She had the distinct impression that Dean was mad with her again, particularly when he didn’t return right away. There was no time to pout about it, Mae thought. She had no intention of giving Dean the satisfaction. That didn't mean it didn't weigh on her mind. What the hell was he playing at?

Surely, she had yet to do something to piss him off. He had asked her to join them. She had not insisted on it, she hadn’t barged into their hunt, and she hadn’t even given much of an indication that she would come. That could have set him off but here she was. Mae dragged a hand through her hair with a harsh sigh. Sitting on the edge of one of the beds, she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her folded legs. "Okay so explain to me why I'm here Sam?"

Sam looked thoughtful a moment before grinning, his eyes far too mischievous. "Well, I'm pretty sure Dean's in love with you so he called with a hugely lame excuse to get you out here and since you came, I can only assume you're sweet on him t--"

His sentence was once again cut short by a flying book and once again, he only laughed. Although, it was probably safer not to tell her that Dean had the same reaction.

"You're such a brat." She mumbled.

"Oh, c'mon Mae, you know why you came here." At her raised eyebrow and freshly armed book, he decided against pushing her more. "19-year-old girl died; according to the authorities it was very occult."

Her red brow quirked as a laughing, but sardonic smile touched her lips. "They said occult?"

"Well…" He cleared his throat, "satanic."

Mae rolled her eyes. "Yeah, because every goth chick with an inverted crucifix and a copy of Alucarda is an honest to god Satanist. Besides, since when do we let the cops rules something like that?"

"Well that's why we're here."

"Yeah… I was under the impression that we were doing something more than checking out an undoubtedly fake claim of devil worship. I mean how many of those are real? Like zero."

"I'm not saying devil worship, but she could be a witch or something."

"Yeah?"

Sam laughed. "Suddenly you're the unbeliever?"

"No, I just think… I need more."

Sam did not disappoint. Grinning, he passed the handful of articles he had gathered. "Missing teens, unusually high rate of sudden infant death syndrome."

"Oh awesome. You know, I am tired of working missing children cases with you. That fucked up goblin now this… and you know the list of things that take kids is insanely long."

"There were 6 in the last month."

That peaked her interest. "A month?"

"Yeah, why?

"Well, it changes thing. It's not every day you run into a witch who can cause miscarriages, mutilates cattle and screws with the weather."

"Wait, back it up. Cattle, the weather? What are you talking about?"

"Uh if you haven't noticed it's raining a ton."

"Well yeah, I just thought that's how it was." She shook her head.

"Not in the Snake River Valley. It's arid here, doesn't get a lot of rain. But a month ago, they were having unseasonable heat. It seems like it's warming up again."

"How do you know?"

Shrugging, she leaned over to take a newspaper from her bag. "I live kinda nearby; keep an ear to the ground. Then there's this."

Sam's brow arched with curiosity as he stood to take the paper from her. Buried in the middle was a follow up article on a mysterious cattle death. "Evidently, the flesh was stripped from its bones."

"Cattle mutilation." He said.

"Maybe but the cow was still standing, from what I hear."

"That's weird."

"Well, like I said… I love strange. Anyway, we should check it out."

"You think?"

"Unless you know a normal reason why a cow could shed its skin. And meat"

"Huh. What the hell does all that?"

Mae took a moment before she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Well, let’s gather some more information before we jump to conclusions or assume, we know what we’re dealing with.”

“But you think you know what it is, don’t you?”

The door opening cut off whatever would have followed Mae's sigh. The soft eyes he had been fantasizing about fixed him with a hard stare for a moment before it was gone. They were now an indifferent shade of blue gray, the sort of gray that would have heralded an incoming storm. Hers just focused back on the books, papers and articles spread haphazardly on the bed. His bed. She didn’t acknowledge him any further as she returned to reading whatever she was reading.

Dean wondered what exactly Mae and Sam had been discussing and why they’d both clam up the moment he came in the room. He watched Mae a moment a moment longer as the bend of her head caused her hair to fall and shroud the side of her face, obscuring her profile.

She wore a sweatshirt, jeans, and boots that hid her frame. A plain and practical outfit when compared to the women who hung out at bars in the late afternoon in these sorts of towns. It was rather disappointing knowing he had left the familiar anonymity of the bar for the slightly less welcoming room of people who knew him. But that didn’t change the draw he felt simply being physically close to her. It felt...right? He didn’t understand the feeling. It wasn’t quite attraction, it wasn’t quite comfort but a strange mix of those with some feeling he couldn’t even name.

He decided it was because over the last few weeks they’d built up a flirtatious rapport and it was only natural for it to turn towards something physical, sexual. It had to be the sex, well the lack there of. It had to be because he wanted her. That was the only reason for his nerves, for his lack of finite direction with her. Moreover, he did want her, with an increased passion because he couldn't have her.

"Find anything?" He asked gruffly.

Sam fixed him with a disappointed look before he returned to his books as well. Mae's eyes never left the pages of her notes and books. "Found a whole lot. The real question is how useful is any of it." Mae replied, still not looking up.

To be honest, she didn't want to look at Dean right then. She was absolutely right, she thought. It would have been easier to turn around, go home, and ignore everything that was happening her. But she also knew that if Dean weren’t here, she wouldn’t have the same hesitation. If he weren’t here, this was just a job, and quite frankly a job she would have taken because of what she though could be out there.

Dean sat down next to her, after pushing a few pages out of his way. He didn’t need to sit right there, she thought but the second he did, she became painfully aware of him. He smelled a little too strongly of a cheap perfume. It wasn’t overwhelming but it certainly wasn’t the way he normally smelled. He had gone stormed out to find some chick to hook up with? After practically begging her to come here, that was his first impulse upon seeing her?

Mae wasn’t certain how that made her fee. Annoyed? Angry? It wasn't jealousy. She had no reason to be jealous. It wasn’t as if they had an agreement to be anything more than hunters and work a job together. Maybe she wanted to get laid, had he thought about that? Mae shook her head. That thought came out wrong even in her head because the first image that came to her mind was not of a nameless stranger but of Dean. She was not ready to spend this much time with him.

Mae had fell quiet, thinking too much with a sigh, she rubbed her eye. Dean and Sam had been discussing the same thing she and Sam had covered while her mind was running around. She tried to focus on their conversation. She hadn’t been engaged. Dean was running around with random women in the middle of the day. She supposed Sam should have been mad at both of them. However, he took it in stride. Hell, he probably liked it because otherwise he’d never get time to himself. This was not the time to ponder all these things. They had work to do. ‘Focus', she told herself.

Dean watched her with a clenched jaw. He knew this was all ridiculous. This was Mae after all. He could call her anytime, day or night just to talk. The plan was to make things better not worse. What the hell was wrong with him? Granted the part of his life Mae occupied was not an easy one. Anger would have been easier. Avoiding her would have been easier but that was not what his gut told him to do. Talking with her had gotten to the point where it was almost normal. Dammit. He wanted things to be normal.

Whatever it was about this girl, he was drawn to her. This wasn't the way he imagined things going. This was supposed to be easier. What could possibly be so different from talking to her and seeing her? Was he really out of his depth with her that this was the way he had to act? He knew she was perplexed, probably more than he was. After all, she had come out on good faith. Damn again. Casting a glance towards Sam, Dean tried to get his brother to clear the room. After 5 minutes of silent commands, Mae surprised him and got off the bed.

"Where are you going?" Sam ventured.

"I'm just going out for a breath of air. Don't worry." She said, making sure her .45 was secure in the waistband of her pants and her cell was in the pocket of her jeans.

"I'll join you." Dean said.

There was possibly a flicker of annoyance at his offer, but Dean couldn't rightly tell. "Wasn't looking for company."

"I wasn't offering it."

She was not up for the fight, so she decided to let Dean do whatever Dean was going to do. He followed her, only a step behind her. With him in tow, she wasn't certain where she should have headed. She needed a distraction.

"Well, I'm sticking around so I need a room."

“You could stay with us.”

“Um, we’re adults here, you know. I’m pretty sure you and Sam don’t want to share a bed and that’s the only possible scenario that we’d be discussing tonight. So, I’m going to get my own room.

The woman put distance between them quickly as she seemed to march to the front office. The short-haired man decided to chase Mae down rather than wait for her to return. He had a feeling that was a better bet. He didn't follow her inside but watched from the parking lot as she paid and signed for her room. Mae's angular face was drawn in an expression between anger and exasperation when she exited. Screwing up his pride, he approached her. "Dude! What the hell!"

He took a step back at her exclamation. "What?"

It hadn’t taken too long for her temper to flare up again, no matter how much she had tried to justify his actions and her reaction to him. "You call me, get me out here… for no real reason other than you wanted me here… then when I come here, you bail! You barely say a word to me and now you're following me like a lost puppy."

"Yeah okay, I owe you an explanation."

"No, you don't. I don't care what you do with yourself but at least… I mean if this is about teaching me a lesson or...making me look like a fool or…if you’re trying to get back at me."

He tucked his hands in his front pockets. "It's not. I just don't know where I stand. This is not something I’m good at, you know amends or whatever."

Dean ventured a look at her face. She was still rather heated, but sympathy was creeping in to those storm colored eyes of hers. He watched the fight go right out of them, amazed that they didn't heat more at his half-assed apology.

"So," First to break the silence, Dean groped awkwardly for something that did not sound too sensitive, "you pissed at me? Because if you are, I'd rather you just throw a punch or something."

She thought the man look genuinely embarrassed. It was a distinctly uncomfortable emotion for her to associate with the eldest Winchester brother. It was easier to accept him as cocky and brazen about his actions. "Dean, if I were pissed...” she didn’t know what she would do, and it didn’t matter. “I’m--I don’t really know how to do this either. My first instinct would be to not but...it doesn’t seem right. So here I am. Let’s just get along, okay?”

What he wanted to tell her was not going from his brain to his mouth. He just couldn’t find the right words. She left him grasping for something to say, some way to explain why he was so off kilter with her. "Yeah okay. I was kinda ready for a fight though.”

“If you want me to hit you, I will. Is that why you ran off to go hook up with some chick?”

“I--no, and I didn’t. I couldn’t. It... didn’t work.”

“Maybe you should see a doctor about that.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Good to know, I guess. I--I mean it’s not like we’re... together or something.”

“I know but that’s not what happened today. I think I just...thought about things too much.”

"Dude." Mae stopped, turned and raked her hands through her hair. "It's been years since we've had any meaningful sort of contact, that wasn’t pretty much a shit show. It's only recently that we've even tried to act like adults. So, it’s not like we really know what the other person is really like."

"So, you are pissed."

"I'm not pissed Dean. Honestly. I'm just… I don't know. This is a little stressful because, you know last time we fought so hard we almost got our asses kicked by a spirit goblin and I really don’t want a repeat of that fight. So, I guess I’m on edge."

His hazel green eyes narrowed as he tried to judge her sincerity. "No, I get that."

"Good."

She was still mad he thought. "So, what's with the cold shoulder, Mae?"

"Me? The cold shoulder? You spazed the hell out and left me with your brother. I don't even know what that constitutes but it's messed up."

"You said you didn't care what I did with myself."

"Do you want to change into our jammies, paint each other’s nails, and talk about the boys we think are cute? We’ve spent maybe 20 minutes together. Let’s try for an hour, at least, before we start fighting about stupid shit."

Dean bridged the narrow gap between them, standing in her personal space. Mae didn't react outwardly to it, but she was on guard now. That was always a dangerous sign because it meant she was planning. Or maybe it meant nothing at all, Dean thought. They weren't exactly fighting but he had to make sure. Despite her best intentions to keep her face neutral but her eyebrow quirked.

Surprising her, he grabbed her hand and shook it. “Deal. At least an hour, then a stupid fight. Just so we don’t feel weird about things.”

Again, despite her best intentions, it made her laugh. “Fair enough. I’m gonna unpack my gear."

* * *

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Lying on the bed, Mae tried to ignore the muffled voices of two brothers. It didn't help that she had gotten saddled with the adjoining room. Had the desk clerk not been trying to undress her mentally, she might have protested. It didn't matter, she told herself. Even if she were on the other end of the motel, Dean would have occupied her thoughts. His odd behavior, her reaction, and everything in between just confused her.

This was a mistake. That was the only thing she could conclude. The entire endeavor was a bad idea. Not the hunt, the hunt was a good one. If they were dealing with what she thought, what she hoped, she couldn’t walk away. But Dean made it more difficult. Regardless of either of their feelings for the other, she and Dean couldn't be friends or anything else. Not right now. He was one more distraction she didn’t need. The past, as she could see it, was far more muddied than Dean thought, and she wasn’t going to let anything hold her back.

She also had not forgotten her deal with John. If she could hold up her end, making sure Sam and Dean were safe, he might be able to help her with finishing the hunt she needed to finish, permanently. Mae got along with Sam just fine. Of course, they didn’t have any sort of complex sexual history or current tangle of emotions. Dragging her hands through her hair, she decided she could organize at least some of her thoughts.

The timeline was off, she thought. They had one possible witch and/or Satanist, strange disappearances of teens, a statistical abnormality in terms of infant deaths, and a bizarre set of weather patterns. There was enough to look into it and yet nothing to give them a clear reason behind any of it. Websites and books aside she felt the distinct need for more research. Sighing, she rolled over and grabbed her phone. Dialing and waiting for the familiar voice took all too long. "Hello?"

It was warm and familiar; she could practically hear the smile on the other end. "Hey."

That slightly southern accent was friendly and smooth. She felt more relaxed just hearing it, perhaps since the handful of hours since Dean had called her. "Mae. I thought you were heading back tonight."

It was so easy to imagine the frown that when with the concern. Why the hell this calmed her down was beyond her. It was nice. "I was. I got derailed."

"Where are you?"

She chuckled. "You won't believe it. Twin Falls, Idaho."

Cal already knew she had pulled up the weather charts a while back and dismissed the case. "I thought you said there was nothing there."

She didn't like to be wrong and gave a heavy sigh. "I thought there wasn't but… well it's definitely looking like something."

"What?"

It was her turn to grin. The man was direct, often to his detriment and she could imagine him cleaning a gun or sharpening one of his knives while he worried. "I'll figure it out Cal."

"I can be there in-"

She cut him off, wanting someone to chat with rather than a solution. If she had brought up was truly on her mind, he would have listened, but she wouldn't do that. It would just have to wait. "I don’t think it’s anything than needs that many hands-on deck.”

“I thought you said this might be the big one last time you were looking into it.”

“No, no. I was wrong.” It wasn’t a lie, she thought. It could just be a witch or some other strange occult thing. That would actually make more sense.

“You sure?”

Yeah. I'm fine. Really."

"Really?"

"Yeah." It came out somewhat reluctantly and halfhearted the first time, but she bolstered her voice after a moment.

"Yeah, I promise."

There was a questioning moment, as if there were something larger that would be said but neither of them ventured to speak it. "So, listen, do you think you could do me a favor?"

"Anything Mae."

"You wanna dig a little more into this area and what’s been going down over the last two months or so?"

"Sounds like you have a theory."

"No, I have the opposite. There’s too much and I can’t narrow down yet. I don’t know. I just think… there's something up and if I can get a better look…"

"Yeah, okay. I'll let you know what I find."

She smiled without meaning and damn near laughed when he cut the call short without any pleasantries. She had Sam going through reports, papers, whatever else he had gathered and now she had Cal pulling up whatever he could find on his end. She could have redoubled the efforts if she could focus. She could have gone to sleep early. The prospect of sleep didn't entice her. So, she rolled out of bed.

A few minutes later, her feet hit the pavement with alarming speed. She just needed to run. Mae knew she wouldn't escape anything but running but she would at least burn off the energy. And the rhythm of her foot falls helped relax her mind. Mavis liked Dean, she did. He was a kindred spirit. The man was the only person she had met who she could be completely honest with. The fact that she so often hadn’t was an area for improvement. She wanted to be his friend. In almost any other situation, she could see trying to mend fences with him and actually be the sort of honest she felt she could be.

The cool air and pleasant burn of her muscles helped to clear her head and right her thoughts. Her blood was pumping from the run in a healthier way than pointless fighting with Dean. She needed, wanted to keep this mindset instead of following all those petty little breadcrumbs and nitpicking at what any little word or gesture meant. So, Mae ran until thinking about him didn't made her mind smolder with perplexity.

Mae ran for about an hour before she felt ready to return to reality, with a healthier. This job had to be enough, she thought, to keep her thoughts off all her issues, concerns, and insecurities. Maybe, she wondered, if she couldn’t come completely clean with the boys. Letting them know why she’d joined them on the last hunt, what she wanted to find here, and what she needed to get done before she could return to being a regular hunter.

The easiest thing would be to simply talk to them. Only she wasn't sure how exactly he would react. It might go okay, or it might sink everything. It would open up a lot of questions and wounds. Would exposing those raw nerves, perhaps on all sides, help or hinder the hunt? She knew if they were to be friends, all of that would need to be discussed. They would all need to understand the bigger picture. Some of it, she knew would need to come from someone other than her.

The real question she had for herself was if she was keeping the truth from him to protect herself or him. For a long time, she had claimed it was to keep him from getting hurt, but she was beginning to think it was more selfish. Dean would be hurt by what she knew, if only because she and others had kept it from him. Finally telling him most of the truth about what had happened that night with his father had revealed something about Dean she hadn’t be anticipating.

To her surprised, he had seemed more willing, perhaps even eager to forgive her. She wasn’t looking for that but as soon as he was given an explanation, his attitude towards her changed and softened. Logically, she realized that perhaps that had always been his default and he fought to keep up his anger. Maybe if the truth had been something different, he would have folded into his feelings of betrayal.

Mae knew Dean deserved more. Not just from her, she was just the only one who was in a position to do anything about how he was treated. Dean was trying, despite her defensiveness. He wasn’t trying to force it thought. He edged right up to the point of crossing that line with her but was somehow able to keep from going over. At that point, she wasn’t sure what the best approach with him was. Did she keep trying to put up a front or did she lay everything out for him? And when? Why did everything have to be so damn hard with this man?

Her feet brought her back to the motel without much thought about it. With any luck, she could shower and fall into a dreamless sleep. Anything where her mind would stay quiet. Only a few minutes after she had gotten to her room and stripped out of her sweaty shirt when she heard the almost imperceptible scratching sound at the door. It wasn't exactly scratching she corrected. She knew the sound. It was the locks trying to tumble because someone was trying to pick the lock.

For a moment, she debated if she should grab her gun knowing full well who was trying to unlock the door. Shooting might have been satisfying but a waste of ammo. She leaned close to the door listening until he almost had it before unlocking her side of the door that joined the two rooms. Being caught red-handed, Dean tucked the lock pick behind his back and offered up a cocky grin. "H-ey Mae."

She yanked Dean into her room by the shirt. His eyes were wide in shock even as the door slammed closed behind him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I was worried."

"So, your natural reaction is breaking and entering?"

"Hey, I was worried." He looked her over trying not to focus on any one area but having a real difficulty fighting that instinct, "Why are you so sweaty?"

"I went for a run."

"You went for a run? Without telling anyone?"

Her eyes narrowed. "What are you, my nursemaid?"

Dean looked down at her, hoping she would believe him. "I'm serious. I tried knocking, I tried calling. You could have been hurt."

"I had my phone with me." She slid it out of her pocket only to find that he had in fact called her, she just hadn't noticed. "What do you want?"

He saw the look on her face that told him he had won that small battle and pressed his luck. "I wanted to talk."

"C’mon man, I don't want to talk. We both know this is weird and... I just… you know it's pretty clear neither of us is totally okay with… whatever this is."

"Yeah so how do we make it better?"

He watched her face furrow, smooth, and fall again. If he had wanted to name the look, he would have called it a defeated one. Not a look he wanted to cause her to have. Dean was stuck trying to decide if it was better to forge ahead or make an escape in hopes that they could forget about this. Then she spoke. "You really want to make it better?"

"I wouldn't call you if I didn't. I wouldn't… I wouldn't put up with you—our supreme craziness if I didn't. And I would bet you wouldn't either."

She shrugged but nodded. "I hate it when you act like an adult."

"Me too. Your tits look really great all-"

"Great. Adult moment over."

She laughed and Dean only grinned. "Well actually as far as adult moments go—"

Mae pointed a finger at him. "I will hurt you." But there was laughter in her eyes even if it was slight.

"Can… can I ask you something? I know I should leave it be but… I just need to ask you this one thing."

Mae contained the roll of her eyes and tried to ignore the knot that was starting to form in her back again. "What?"

"Like what really happened between us? What happened between you and Dad? Why?"

"I already told you. Do you really need me to go over it again and again? I thought things were cool on that front with us."

He sighed, pacing. "I guess I don’t get it, not totally. You're not that careless Mae. I know you're not. And I know it wasn't just me. It wasn't just me thinking there was something more between us. Not even just something more but something… real."

Her shoulders lifted in a shrug as she turned from him. "I think I’ve been forth coming on all of those questions. We--your dad and I were wanting that hunt to be something so bad that we made stupid moves, more than one. And we both go burned because of it. As for you and me, I... I told you that too. I--you have this weird appeal for me that I can’t explain. So... I didn’t want to risk being around you any longer than I had to be."

Dean knew she was hiding something. Still. He wanted to dig into it more. He though, perhaps getting that out in the open would help just like it did the last time. It wasn’t something he could get to on the phone. What he could read from her was that all her gestures indicated that this wasn't a touchy topic because she was ashamed or hurt by it.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

She closed her eyes. “Okay, you want this to be different than it has been?”

“Yeah, of course. I mean, I can’t promise I won’t get pissed off but...I just can’t make sense of it without...whatever is missing.”

“I don’t know if it will make sense of anything for you. But, you’re right, you don’t know the whole story. There’s a lot more about what went down that night that happened well before that night and well after. I don’t---this is not a good time or place to get into it. Right?”

“I don’t... you know, I get the impression from our calls that.... you’re just really hard to pin down. So, if fixing us or making up or whatever you wanna call it, isn’t important to you, just tell me. Okay? I can’t keep feeling like a crazy person.”

“Like told you that night in the forest, I haven’t talk about this with anyone really since it happened. There’s a lot about what happened for me after that disaster of a job that, that isn’t...that’s painful. And um, I get that you deserve the truth. You do, okay? Or at least you deserve to understand why I can’t...why I’m not the same person.”

“I’m not asking you to be the same person you were.”

“I know.”

“So, you’re staying on this hunt?

“Yeah, I am. And after, well, we can talk more. “

“Can I ask you something else?”

She slumped dramatically. “Oh my God. Fine what, whatever.” She said as she straitened.

“Before that bad hunt, what went wrong then? I mean, things were...good, you know. I loved you, you loved me. And... you didn’t stay with me.”

“I couldn’t.”

“Did you...stop loving me?”

"No. God, I wish. If I didn’t love you, if I didn’t care about you...Jesus, my life would have been easier. I loved you. I did. But… we weren’t meant to be together then. I mean, even you have to see that."

"You didn't give it a chance."

For whatever reason, that one statement struck her. And she snapped. "You mean when I was bleeding to death with a hunk of wrought iron through my middle? Or maybe when you nearly died on our first hunt together? Or maybe when I didn't try hard enough when I got sent off to catholic school? Or maybe when I wasn't as easy as you wanted? Or maybe it was when we weren’t in the same town and you fooled around with any chick who would let you? Or maybe when I was 16 and…"

She cut herself off. This was not a road she wanted to go down. The arguing wasn't even meaningful. Rehashing the past like this was the last thing they needed to do. It was the last thing she wanted to do. But that's what it always came back to. It was clear they both held an idealized version of their feelings for each other. All of her issues with him came rushing back in a nauseating stream, making her woozy. She took a rather exhausted seat on the edge of her bed. "It wasn’t for lack of trying. But don’t you think we had enough stuff to get over. I guess I just hit a point where I couldn’t keep fighting. Did you want to?”

“Guess I always thought something would break our way.”

“What is wrong with us?"

Dean had been taken back by the display. The girl had a temper and often a short fuse but there was a lot of unexpressed emotion behind this. When he had started to prod her, he hadn't expected this reaction, so he let it go. They had time to work all of this out, it didn't have to be that night. "My first guess is a lot."

With a bitter laugh, she finally smiled. It appeared to be a welcoming gesture of sorts, so he sat. "I have a hard time not fighting with you. You just… get to me." Mae said.

"Likewise," the moments like this were why he couldn't let her go. "You know… I'm glad you came."

Her sigh made her shoulders slump. "I don't wasn't to fight with you."

"I don’t want to fight with you either. I just can’t figure out why that easier than anything else."

"I guess we're not okay."

"Well for what it's worth… I’m willing to try to fix this whole thing.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re family, you know. Always have been. So maybe we haven’t had the easiest of times being the right kind of family for each other. That doesn’t mean we can’t try now.”

“What...is it okay, with you, if we don’t end up in a place where things are fixed? I mean, maybe we broke a long time ago and it’s not a fixable thing.”

"That sounds like deep down, you think trying to fix this is hopeless."

The thought made his stomach knot uncomfortably. "I didn't say hopeless." She whispered, "But realistically... a couple of hunts and a few phone calls aren't going to make whatever is wrong with us better."

"No, it's a start."

When she turned her face up to his, he grinned at her smile. "I know. I just hope I don't maim you before we get to common ground first."

"And hope I don't go insane."

"What do you mean go?"

He nudged her with his shoulder. "Oh, you're hilarious."

"I try."

Dean would have hugged her if it wouldn't have been so uncomfortable. Instead, he stood and rather awkwardly tried to allay his last fear of the night. "I uh, guess I should go back to my room.”

"Maybe chill out a bit and don’t pick the locks.”

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I started writing this series back in 2007, in bits and parts. Since then, that some of the story lines I put together are showing up in later seasons, that didn’t exist at the original writing! Because of that, there’s also a place where I stopped keeping up with recent/current episodes. So, this is a story to really stay in that first season mindset. Hopefully, that doesn't sound too contrived. Anyway, it weaves in and out of the real story line since I don't want to write my own characters into every episode.


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

Eight years. Dean pondered that most of the night. For her, that had been when things changed. Maybe it was a big thing, like when she got hurt. Or maybe it was all the small things that she mentioned. Maybe they really had snowballed for her until she reached that breaking point. Maybe it was all of that. He didn't have to be observant to know what bothered her most about 8 years ago. She was only 16.

Dean grinned a bit. God, he had been stupid over her. In all her skinny, know-it-all, tomboy glory. Mae was the first girl, the first woman he had ever truly connected with. It had never been just that she was pretty or available. It wasn't even their shared interests or circumstances. It was everything. He supposed that's what happened with normal people. She was the first girl he had ever loved. And at that time, even though he might have flirted with other girls, he never really pictured himself with anyone else. Before she got hurt, they had been unstoppable.

At some point, and in his memory, it seemed like overnight, her tall awkwardness transformed into model tallness and her skinny frame rounded out with feminine curves. She hid that from everyone but him. Back then, those big doe eyes were always soft when they looked at him, always excited to see him. He could make a long list of all the things he didn't appreciate about her back then. He could see all the ways he was a crappy boyfriend now. He'd told himself at lot of excuses around it at the time, he also knew that he adored her and when they were together, she was the only one.

She had changed over those 8 years, but Dean realized he hadn't considered just how much she'd changed then. Not that he could blame her. It was foolish, even selfish to think that had so little impact on her. Hell, nearly dying could shake anyone and Mae was only 16 when it happened. To think that whatever he tried to do to convince her nothing hanged changed would have made things better for her seemed awfully naive now.

Dean knew Mae had arrived at the same conclusion he had back then; they were hunters and that was it. They knew about too many things to simply shift back into being normal people. And how could they possibly know what they knew and do nothing about it. She wasn't innocent but when they were together, she had this sweetness. He didn't like to admit that perhaps he recalled things differently now. If he were being honest with himself, he hadn't thought about her that night, not the way he should have.

* * *

~8 years earlier~

Her head was cradled in his lap as he stroked her pretty, red hair. It seemed so much brighter in the dim light. It had more to do with how pale her face looked, due to all blood loss and trauma that night. He told her it would be all right but there was little conviction in those words. At 18, he had seen more than most twice his age. But the appearance of the girl that night, holding her cold and clammy hand in his was alarming to him.

It spread an angry red contrast to the pretty pink of the shirt she wore. She had moved and been moved around too much for the nearly foot long expanse of iron fencing speared through her abdomen to keep her from bleeding out. It would have been worse if they had taken it out on site. it was still the only thing keeping her from bleeding out completely. Dean could safely say he had never seen Uncle Bobby, or his dad work so quickly to save anyone.

There was still so much blood and no telling what that spike had hit. She'd struck the fence at an odd angle but had gained enough velocity during the fall to allow the slightly dull spike of the fence to clean through her. He hoped because it was low enough and off to the side enough that it had missed her spine. Although if she died in his arms, it wouldn't much matter. He tried to keep her still, comfort her but he couldn't shake the hopeless feeling that washed over him. He should have done more to keep her safe and he knew couldn't do anything to save her now.

* * *

* * *

~Present Day~

He had to admit, if only to himself, that he didn't care to think much about that day. It was his fault that she'd fallen from the tree. Mae was too green, greener than he was at any rate. At the time, it seemed like another safe job for her to cut her teeth on. He was supposed to look out for her, keep her safe. He had not only encouraged her to take the position in the tree. He told her it would give them a better vantage point but thought it would keep her out of the fray.

He hadn't kept a close enough eye on her eye on her or that ghost. It got the jump on him, had flung him and when he was back on his feet, Mae out of the tree and impaled on the fence. It had been a long time since he had thought about that. It was his fault she'd been hurt like that. He wouldn't blame her if she didn't trust him after that. On some level, he though, she couldn't. She had trusted him, she'd loved him, and he'd almost gotten her killed because he didn't want her in the way.

That very well could have broken it, broken her. If that was true, maybe there was no amount of anything that could fix it. Mae hadn't said it but judging by her actions, he had lost whatever future they might have had that night. He could see that now. That night had taken that sweetness from her and turned it hard, turned her into the woman she was now. He couldn't blame her for that.

* * *

Dean cleared his throat as he stood outside of her door. He got the feeling his brother was focusing on every interaction he had with Mae and analyzing it the way he did. The next smug smirk or comment on just how fascinating the way he acted with Mae was, he was going to smack it off the kid's face. So, it was better that he was at the main door rather than the adjoining one to bring her some coffee.

God he was whipped, he thought. This bordered on embarrassing and he uncomfortable, even though he couldn't really pinpoint why. After all, he wasn't trying to score with her. He wasn't trying to save her. He didn't have an exact idea of what he was trying to do so he wasn't sure how he was supposed to act with her. Instinct was clearly the wrong thing to go with because they were all over the place. Today, he felt guilty more than anything else. He knew a cup of coffee wasn't going to ease that guilt. But he was going to try and extend the proverbial olive branch. He wasn't going to let her rile him up either. No, this was a clean start.

It was a fine intention and action but when she opened the door, perplexed expression on her face, he felt his plans dissolve. It wasn't the beginnings of another flare of someone's temper that made his mouth suddenly dry. It was the pang of physical attraction that shot through him. She wasn't the sexiest woman he'd ever seen but that rationalization didn't seem to convince his mind or body. Her face went from perplexed to expectant to amused as Dean stood there simply staring at her. The lips he fixated on turned in a half smile. "Is there something I can do for you Dean? Because if you look at me like that any longer, I'm gonna have to start charging."

Any smart reply he would have offered didn't find its way past his lips and he uncomfortably thrust the cup towards the redhead. "Coffee," He cleared his throat, "I thought you might like some… coffee."

Behind her eyes, he could see the teasing comment forming and the twitch of her mouth told him she was going to let him have it. But she didn't. She took the proffered cup from his hand and smiled. "Thanks."

She didn't ask him in, but she didn't slam the door in his face. When she stepped away from the doorway, he took it as an invitation. Dean wondered how much she had slept because it was 7:30 am and she'd already set up her 'home office.' Newspaper articles, photographs, notes and a map were pinned on the walls of her room. "You've got a real Beautiful Mind thing going on here."

The redhead smirked. "You'd be surprised how often I hear that."

"When the hell did you get up?"

She glanced at her wrist. "A bit ago?"

Hazel green eyes swept over the information she had gathered. Finally, his gaze focused on her. Before he had noticed the little things, mostly about her face, her hair and he was surprised to see her in a modest pair of tan slacks and black sleeveless turtleneck. She looked a little too dressy for hunting but not so blandly professional if she were conduction an interview. "You're dressed."

"Yeah, I've found it's harder to hunt if you've been arrested for public indecency."

Tipping his head to the side, he contemplated that before frowning. "You weren't going to tell us?"

"About dressing? I sort of figured you both had a handle on that."

"I mean why are you dressed?"

Unconsciously, she smoothed her hands down her stomach. She hadn't put a great deal of thought into the simple outfit and Dean's eyes made her feel slightly insecure. At least, she thought both her voice and face could mask that. "I wasn't aware that I was supposed to run that by you now."

Don't fight with her, he reminded himself. Still, he had to clench his fist at his side to keep from saying something defensive. "Well, most women can't keep their clothes on around me."

A smiled tugged at her lips. "I went through that phase once myself. But admitting you have a problem is the first step. You know, like the drunks."

Chuckling, he took the top off his coffee cup and sat on the edge of her bed. "You know I don't mean to be contrary here, but do you think, for once, you could just be straight with me?"

Mae frowned as she passed him walking into the bathroom. She set the cup on the counter without drinking yet. The way his eyes followed her as she finished getting ready unnerved her. It implied a level of intimacy they didn't have but telling him so would have only earned her a smirk and a more intense stare. "I figured I'd be back before you were up. You're not really a morning person."

"Oh well then, by all means just take off."

His sarcasm might have been well placed, but Mae didn't like it. Even if he was right. "I wasn't taking off. I'm working the case. Don't worry, it just came up. Besides, you boys have work to do too."

"We're supposed to be working together."

"We are."

It was interesting to watch her put her make up on. It was a lot of work, he thought, to make it look like she wasn't wearing any. Occasionally her eyes would meet his in the mirror, but she would quickly look back at her own reflection. So, in a move that was not exactly passive, he moved to stand in the door way. "Yeah okay part of that actually involves talking to each other."

"It was early when I got the call back and he doesn't have a lot of free time. I thought I should just go ahead and meet up with the guy, in case we couldn't later."

"Those are the exact sort of things you're supposed to tell us."

She sighed after she finished putting on a thin coat of lip-gloss and tried to gauge her appearance without noticing Dean doing the same. "Trust me, it's easier if I go by myself."

"Fine but you could clue us in at least."

The man did have a point and there was nothing she could jump down his throat about on this one. After all, he had brought her coffee and they had both kept their cool. Mae turned back to him. "Sorry, I just thought… well, I… sorry."

She seemed tamed somehow at this point. The fight was gone. Actually, looking in her eyes, he could see it simmering but she had shifted into work mode. He could at least understand that. He wanted to connect with her however, on a level that right now he was certain would fail.

Dean noticed she had adapted this way of talking to him without granting him any of her attention. Perhaps it was just him she didn't give her full attention. Like most things about the woman, he decided it was purposeful. In an obvious move, she all but pushed passed him into the main room. The taller man smirked. He could still read the redhead and there was something she didn't want to tell him.

"So… who's this mystery meeting with Mae?"

"Friend of a friend. Sort of keyed into things more… supernatural. The friend, not the dude I'm meeting up with."

Dean scoffed at that judgment but that too was shut down by the bemused smirk and lone eyebrow arching high on her pale forehead asking him to challenge the assessment. He cleared his throat. "Well… okay. That's not vague or anything."

"You've got something on your mind so just say it."

"We've gotta be able to trust each other, okay. I need to know that you've got my back, got Sam's back so we need to know what the other is doing."

"Yeah, I get that. And you can. This is some low-level recon that doesn't need more than one person. I'm leaning on some personal contacts for this one. So... I'll let you know more next time, okay?"

"I think maybe you're trying to avoid me."

"I'm doing a real shit job of that since you're here in my room chiding me for not following protocol. If I wanted to avoid you, I would pick up my phone or drive 300 miles out of my way because you asked me."

"Mae…"

"Dean! Seriously," she sighed, tugging her hair into a sloppy bun, "I get it. You're right. I'll let you and Sam know next time. I'm set in my ways okay? I don't work with people. I certainly don't work with people I have… histories with. I'm just doing what I would do."

"Yeah okay sweetheart."

"I'm… I'll try to be more open, okay?" He laughed at the wording. Licking his lips, he started to say something snide, but she cut him off. "Are we done?"

"Yeah we're done."

She hesitated. "I'll let you know what I find out, when I'm done. In the meantime…"

"Don't worry, Sam and I have a lead."

She knew he wasn't being totally upfront on purpose and while she wanted to demand to know what the lead was, she felt like it would derail things. Her expression was tight, but she simply nodded. "Alright."

* * *

Things were different this time. The last job she had done more as a favor to John Winchester. Well actually, she did it because the favor he'd asked her to do just wasn't working for her. It didn't go the way she planned, in good and bad ways but now, she actually though she might be able to carry out that favor with more ease. The personal conflict between she and Dean was hotter, easier to have, and harder to resist falling into.

This time, they both agreed to work this case together. There wasn't the same level of rage and hurt. The fight was more tension and awkwardness and feeling out where the other really stood. The issues this time were stack higher on her side than on his. She found herself on the defensive all too much and when she wasn't, he was. It was a twisting, push and pull that kept her stomachs in knots around the man she had once been comfortable with. And perhaps that was their mistake. They weren't really those people, no matter how much they wanted to or how fond they were of how it felt to be together in their teens. They needed to come at this like strangers, she thought. Maybe they could actually be friends if they approached each other that way.

This morning had been different. She knew he was trying. Dean had tells too. He tried to look contented and nonchalant but the more he did so, the more uncomfortable he actually was. His movements and words seemed all too planned. Until they actually started interacting, and then he seemed scattered and unsteady. Of course, so were hers. She was tired of losing her control around him. She hated the way he could hit every nerve she had, without even trying sometimes.

So lost in thought, she was surprised by the firm hand on her shoulder. She jumped and the owner of the hand chuckled. Mae forced a smiled rather than going straight to the offense, scooting back in her hair and looking up at the body attached to the hand. He gave her a warm, welcoming smile with an apology for startling her.

The sheriff was quite handsome, not to mention younger than she had expected. Her own smile softened, and she eased her hand away from her boot that had been poised to grab the knife hidden there. She masked any sort of apprehension, tension, or distrust she felt with a kind and what she liked to think of as a youthful smile. "Sheriff Brand?" She questioned, extending a hand as he sat.

"And you must be Cal's daughter."

"I must be. How'd you know?"

"You're the only face in here I don't recognize."

He had a nice smile and eyes a little too kind to have been working very long. The hardness that came with a seasoned cop's eyes, the same hardness that sometimes she saw in her own was missing from the sheriff's and Mae wondered why the hell Cal had set this up. Not one to be subtle, she set her cup of coffee on the table and said pointedly: "I don't mean to sound rude, but you look a bit… young to be a friend of my… Cal."

"I'm not. Not really, I mean. He's a friend of my father. They were on the force together."

That made more sense. This might be a useful endeavor. Hopefully, better than impersonating a fed. The redhead relaxed a bit. "Ah, thought you looked like a legacy."

His eyes twinkled as he laughed and leaned in. "Well I have to say, I'm surprised that any relative of Cal Norton wouldn't be a cop."

Because it was rare that anyone spoke of Cal in a familiar way, she grinned. "Oh well...I mean, I'm...he's my father-in-law. Or ex... my husband passed away a few years ago."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

"Don't worry about it. It's...it was unexpected and... but that's not why I'm here."

* * *

The smile was still on her lips when she made it back to her motel room. It was a bit foolish she knew but she liked Sheriff Brand. He had an easy charm and... something else. She wasn't sure what that was. Maybe it was just nice to talk with someone without all the issues. That friend of the family angle had given them a lighter rapport, had somehow made it easier for them to talk, even though she was asking a law enforcement officer about what they usually thought was just raving lunacy.

And he surely did but taking the approach of being a writer seemed to work. Sure, there were lies but for the most part she had been truthful. She liked him. Maybe he was a bit naive, as he didn't even question that she was writing a book regarding the history of the town, both past and very recent. And he didn't seem to find it odd that she led him down the path of claims of the occult and the recent missing teens and question of witches being involved.

The man was still sweet and yes, he had been less than subtle in his flirtation. Sheriff Brand chalked it up to the lack of new women in the town. It was flattering, she decided. The smile faded however at Dean standing outside against his car. His arms were crossed over his chest and the frown deeply etched against his handsome features. "We have to talk." They both said as she got out of her car.


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

Mae had left earlier that morning and it was already slowly creeping towards late afternoon. He and Sam had followed up on one of their leads and were now back at the motel, trying to make sense of the extra information. The temptation to sneak into her room was overwhelming. Although he knew the longer, he waited, the more likely it was that he would be caught. Mae would kill him if she caught him and undoubtedly, she would know if he had been in there. It might have been worth it to find out what she was up to. And to annoy her a little. He knew it was a childish and quite likely an unwise impulse but that didn't stop the little thrill he got from the idea.

Mae deserved it, just a little. He hated waiting for her, but this time there was less aggravation and resentment as much as a restless desire to talk to her. The woman was not exactly being open. No matter what problems they were having, they needed to communicate openly. God, he thought with a shake of his head, he had been watching too much daytime TV lately.

Despite that, he found himself pacing the room in wait for her return. If Mae was going to take all damn day on her little secret project, he wasn't going to sit idly by while she did whatever she was doing. He had worked himself up to the point where his brother's assurances that there was plenty of research to be done or that Mae wasn't going off half-cocked no longer mattered. This was about trust, not her skill or intention.

"So, you're cool with her just not telling us stuff?" Dean asked Sam

"Of course, not but didn't you say she knew she should from here on out?"

Yeah but...it's the principle of the thing."

"I get that. But..."

"But what?"

"Listen, if it were me or dad, would you be so...spastic about it?"

"No. So?"

"I don't think she meant anything by it, and I think she's trying to get to the bottom of this too. I think you're not giving her the benefit of the doubt."

"I-"

"Did you ask her here just to fight with her and punish her for deciding to sleep with dad? Because, yeah, it's weird but she's an adult and so is he. You can't torture her because she hurt your feelings."

"It's not...it's not about that. Besides, she didn't exactly-I'm not really clear on the details but she didn't really set out to sleep with dad or anything. It was a hex."

"That's-she told you that?"

"Yeah. Why? You don't believe her?"

Sam shrugged. "I wasn't there. I don't know what happened. It's possible, depending on whoever put that hex on them. Doesn't that, I don't know, make you trust her at least a little bit?"

"I," Dean ran a hand through his hair roughly, "It's not that I don't trust her, exactly. It's that I don't like her keeping secrets. She kept...a lot from me for a lot of years it seems. I just don't like it."

"It's not like dad ever told you any of this."

At the muttered utterance, Dean's eyes narrowed. "What's that?"

"C'mon, no matter what the circumstances, don't you think it's screwed up that dad didn't at least try to explain why he was with Mae in the first place? She's good hunter but I don't buy her overpowering dad and... you know."

"I don't-I'm not..."

"Exactly. Just...I'm not saying Dad planned that or anything but maybe think about the fact that he didn't say anything for all these years and at least Mae is trying to make peace."

"You're right Sam, you weren't there so you don't know what happened and you don't know what's happening now."

Dean stepped outside, with no particular intention. He just needed the air. He tried to work up to being mad at Sam. Or Mae. Or even his father. He was only able to flex his fist, to no relief. For Dean, the worst part was Sam wasn't wrong, on any of his assessment. It was hard enough to re-calibrate his thinking around Mae without folding in the extra layer of dealing with his dad's role in everything.

He'd not been able to determine what his end goal with Mae was let alone how everything worked out when they found their dad. How awkward or normal things would be determined on so many factors, none of which he could predict or control. No, this was the least productive line of though he could be having, he reminded himself. It was far, far easier to focus on what Mae was up to.

The moment he heard the throaty growl of her car he tried to strike his most casual pose. He watched her pull into the space next to him and chided his heart for picking up its pace and his hands for becoming ever so slightly damper. The notion that she herself was a witch, placing him under some sort of spell that made him lose control of his most basic confidence passed through his mind as she got out of the classic beauty. The simultaneous 'we have to talk' made him think she might have something more important to discuss than their 'relationship issues.

* * *

Scrubbing his hands over his face, Sam sighed. Dean didn't notice. He was consumed with Mae and whatever was going on between them. It had taken him time to get used to hunting again, to spending so much time with his brother. Sam wouldn't say he had completely adapted to it yet. Watching the two of them squabble when they were together- sometimes subtly, sometimes insanely, sometimes overtly- was throwing him utterly off balance.

Dean's pacing, his mumbling and gesturing to himself were enough that Sam was about to pack up and finish his research at the library. Maybe his brother wouldn't follow, and he could have a few minutes to himself. Every now and then, it would be nice. No matter how much he loved the man, what he would do for him, he was an unending source of annoyances.

Then, without warning, his brother stormed out of the room. He was beginning to regret encouraging Dean to call the lanky redhead. He had hoped it would settle things for his brother, one way or another. He didn't particularly care which way, if this was how they were going to act but ideally, both Dean and Maw would find some kind of happy middle. It would have been easier, less maddening to lock Dean in a room with a werewolf than have him spend 5 minutes with the girl they grew up with. From time to time, it was difficult to see her as anything but that girl and at other impossible to see how she had become the woman she was now.

At least he had some time to think now. Dean would probably get in the car and drive off his frustration. If they were lucky, he'd find some strange girl and… Sam didn't even want to finish that though, let alone think it. The peace was short lived when about 15 minutes later the pair came back to the room. It wasn't clear if they were fighting or just preparing to fight. The motel room filled with tension once Mae and Dean entered. Sam wasn't even sure they took note of him. He knew were they to start yet another row, it wouldn't be a long wait. He sat back to watch with what he considered to be a voyeuristic death wish.

"You met up with the sheriff? You didn't think to tell me that little detail." Dean scolded.

Mae rolled her eyes, crossed her arms over her chest and tried not to point out that she wasn't 15 and he wasn't his father. Or her uncle. Despite all that she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being just as childish as Dean. "When were you going to see him?"

Dean's jaw twitched. "We were getting to it."

"Well, you were able to work while I did that so I'm not sure where we lost out."

Gnashing his teeth together, Dean tried to ignore how attractive he found her. Her slim frame was somehow highlighted in that dark sleeveless turtleneck and slacks She looked, dare he say, plain, a bit boring and nondescript. Had he not known her, he wouldn't have given her a second thought. It should not have been so inviting. It was completely inappropriate considering how he felt right then. "And what did you tell him?"

"Oh I totally told him I was here because that supposed dead witch might really be a dead witch and might have unleashed some unnamed bad nasty on this town; so me and a guy I used to let bang me who, by the way, is wanted for murder but no worries because the cops think he's dead and his brother are looking into it. And if need be, we were gonna do some shady shit to get to the bottom of this case. And that the trunk of my car was just loaded with weapons!" She huffed as she threw her hands up in exasperation, "What do you think I told him?"

Dean wasn't going to let her win. "Well we'll probably need to talk to him again." He said, knowing it was a weak argument to begin with.

He knew Mae would work this case right, just like they were taught but he couldn't help but fight with her. She tucked her hands into her pocket and smirked. The woman's all too relaxed but superior pose made Dean a bit uncomfortable. "Yeah you can, and you can be whoever you want. But I got in sooner, because he happens to be the son of a friend of a friend. He thinks I'm just a writer. You've got the ability to find out stuff with him your way. But this was a soft entry sort of thing. I think I can get him to trust me which means we can do some covert investigation with a little more leeway since I'm not on the radar as a suspicious person. And I've been to the morgue, checked out our little witch."

Dammit. Dean hated that she had actually found something, something useful. The situation she had set up gave them more to work with and a trio of fake federal agents would probably draw more attention than they wanted. Hell, she might have come up with a great plan. Dean paused. He took that moment to judge the insulted look on her face. "And? You found something?"

The condemnation in his voice had lessened slightly at that point but she was still mad. She took a seat at the table with Sam, propping her shoes on the scuffed and scarred table. Sam didn't get a chance to voice his complaint at her invading his space. He just moved his laptop to the side with an off-put grunt. The redhead didn't notice, eyes sharp and pinned on Dean. "I found several things but perhaps you should go down there and scout them out for yourself seeing as I'm incapable of doing the work."

Dean all but rolled his eyes at her. There was no winning with this woman. Now he couldn't possibly tell her he was wrong. And he'd be damned if he'd tell her she'd had a good idea. He only wanted to find one topic that didn't have them turning up the fight. "I didn't say you were incapable. I was saying you suck at working on a team."

"You're not even giving—"

"Children, please."

Both Mae and Dean turned to Sam and for an instant he thought they were going to push their little argument on him. The scorching glance was all he received before Mae relented. "Well Winsome Witch there may actually be a real witch."

Dean scoffed. "Of course, she's a real which. Winsome Witch, really? That's… obscure."

The little smirk that he got next was perhaps the best part of his day.

"Winsome Witch? Who's that? Wait, I don't care." Sam said, knowing if he were sucked into their little world, there would be no getting out.

The three of them gave a simultaneous sigh before Dean cleared his throat. "That's your news flash? I'm pretty sure we knew that."

She squared her jaw and sent a warning plea to Sam in her glance. He decided to step in even if he didn't know which one of them, he was trying to hold back at that moment. "C'mon Dean, just hear her out."

Dean and Mae warred with their eyes a moment longer before he broke off and took a seat on the edge of his bed. Holding out a moment longer, she got up to get her bag, mildly regretting having tossed it on Dean's bed when she entered.

It shouldn't have been so hard to not argue with Dean. Or so appealing. They need some kind of outlet or this was only going to get worse. She hated it but she wanted to argue all the same for some reason. "Okay so check this out." She pulled a folder out of her aged leather bag, dropping the folder beside the tall man. "I scored the crime scene pictures and… it gets weird."

"How weird?" Dean asked

He picked up the folder only to have it taken away when she sat next to him. "Super weird. Take a look."

Her head was lowered so she didn't see the look on Dean's face or catch him stick out his tongue immaturely. But as she took the photo out for him, he stopped. That was weird. "What is _that_?"

Dean took the photo from her and squinted to make out the strange assortment of blocky, triangular patterns on the girl's body. The confused look on Dean's face was enough to have Sam on his feet, crossing the room to look at the pictures. "What the hell is that?" Dean inquired.

"Cuneiform. Girl's covered in it." Mae said.

Sam examined the picture when his brother handed the photo to him. Dean checked over the other photo Mae had with a skeptical eye. He had seen a lot of strange things, but this was on the top of his list. "Why?"

"Mmm, oh yeah let me just check the note she left explaining the case."

"Mae." Sam chided, even if he was ever so slightly amused by the woman.

That amusement stopped when she turned on him. "Is Sammy he always so… bitchy?"

The way Dean bent his head only served to highlight his laughter rather than hide it. "Pretty much."

Sam had begun to frown when Mae asked the question and that frown deepened when Dean replied. "I'm just trying to keep the peace."

"We're fine with fighting." Dean said.

Mae nodded. They looked strangely unified sitting on the bed and defending the clash. "He's right, we are."

Sam would have laughed if it wouldn't have spurned more derisive comments from the pair. "That's what the two of you agree upon?"

"Yeah." They answered in chorus.

"Whatever. Can we focus?"

"So anyway, I'm going to see if the sheriff will let me look at the actual body."

Sam was confused. "I thought you said you went to the morgue. You didn't get in?"

"No, I stole this out of one of the files when the clerk went to get some weird argument that was going on between some of the other people there. Don't worry, I didn't use my real name and there were copies so..."

"Maybe you can try exchanging sexual favors do get the clerk or the sheriff to let you in there." Dean wasn't sure why he said it and once it was out of his mouth, he instantly regretted the needless jab.

"That might how you finesse the law, but I tend to take a less X rated approach. And I said yet. Doesn't mean my considerable charms won't get me in there."

"Your considerable charms?" Dean scoffed, "You're the most annoying person I've ever met."

"Why? Because I'm you with tits?"

"Dude! Will the two of you stop and listen to yourselves?"

"Jesus." Mae muttered as she clamped a hand over her mouth.

Dean stood, not understand what the hell he was doing, only knowing that he needed to put a little more space between himself and Mae. "Okay, so what next?"

Closing her eyes, the woman tossed the folder on to the space Dean had occupied. "What did you find?"

Dean's jaw twitched. She had a better hand than he did in this little game. She had something tangible and he had hoped she would gloss over their legwork of that morning. "Well," he began, feeling as if he were giving an oral report in school again, "we checked in with that farmer whose cow went for the ultimate skinny dip and he says he knows what caused it."

Her chuckle was an amused one this time and Dean felt a little comforted by that. "Yeah? And what might that be? Aliens? Hooligans?"

Dean grinned. "Wind."

"Wind? That's a hell of breeze."

"It was. They had gale force winds." Sam added.

She inclined her head, thinking about the physics of it all. "Yeah okay, I know they've been having freaky deaky weather but the speeds the wind would have to be to strip a cow to the bone is impossibly fast and we'd see more damage… like no town. Even a dust storm wouldn't do damage like that. A shamal can strip paint off a car but not a cow."

Dean tossed the photo of the girl in his hands back in the folder and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, Old MacDonald says the winds came up, covered everything in darkness and when it lifted all that remained of Bessie was her bones."

Her brow arched and she leaned back, resting on her hands. It was an odd situation to say the least. "So, a windstorm? That's what took you 4 hours to dig up?"

"Mae." Sam hated having to be the moderator of this fight. Just when it seemed like maybe, just maybe the pair would start acting like adults, they reverted back to their pissing contests.

The words flew out of Dean's mouth without regard for the situation. "What, your sheriff gave you the low down on that too? Did he turn over the keys to his cruiser while you were blowing him?"

He could see those gray eyes of hers turn to steel as he suggested for a second time the method for her gathering information. "You are so close to eating that cocky smirk of yours."

"I'm just calling it like it is."

"You think I'm using the job for cheap sex? For the record, if I did blow the sheriff, it wouldn't have taken four hours and I'd be running the damn sheriff's office. You know occasionally when you're not a total dick, you can get information easier. You might try it." Mae challenged.

"I'm not a dick," he turned to his brother, "Sammy am I a dick?"

"You can have dickish qualities. Every now and then."

Laughing more derisively time, she gestured towards Sam. "I guess they were right when they said he was the smart brother."

Sam held his hands up in surrender. "Hey, don't drag me into this."

"Oh, you're in just by virtue of blood." Mae accused.

It was Dean who stepped in to steer the conversation back towards the case. Glad for once that Mae was jumping down someone else's throat. "Okay, I hate to be the voice of reason but let's get back to the job alright."

Mae closed her eyes. For some reason she was close to the edge and it didn't have anything to do with Dean or Sam or the case or anything she could name really. It was just there simmering. Usually she tended to be professional and maybe it was Dean since he put her in a strange place

"Yeah, right, okay."

Turning from his brother and Mae, Sam made his way back to his computer. "Why would a girl cover herself in cuneiform?"

The woman shrugged. "Maybe she didn't. Maybe someone else did."

"Well what does it say?" Dean inquired.

Her reply was more skeptical than angry this time. "How should I know?"

"I thought you might. You're full of weird little information."

Mae snorted, a trait that for the moment Dean found endearing. "Yeah, I speak a handful of languages, but I haven't found room to learn a freakin' dead Sumerian language."

"That's would probably be useful in your line of work."

"I wish that weren't true." She conceded.

Then she was staring at him. There wasn't a good reason she was on edge she decided. Dean was the same Dean she had gotten used to talking to and the vast sea of issues between them wasn't enough to merit this behavior from either of them. There had to be something in the water she decided.

Dean's thoughts followed a similar trail as he also focused on the woman. Oblivious to the exchange and involved in research again, Sam spoke. "We need to look at the body."

"Yeah okay, you and Dean go play cops and fake FBI agents. I'll see if a professor friend of mine will do me a favor and tell me what the hell is written on this girl. Can we all agree to do that as un-crazy as possible?"

"Yeah." Sam said.

Dean didn't trust himself to speak so just nodded as he tried to work out what was happening with him and Mae.

"Okay good." She stood and dusted nonexistent bits off her slacks. She didn't like it. Mae trusted both men as much as she trusted anyone and knew they were just as invested in getting to the bottom of this case. However, she would have been more comfortable getting a look at the body herself. The photo told a story that was just too strange to believe without giving them a clear picture. But she was in a situation where she couldn't get in on her own. Dean was right; she sucked at working on a team and giving up control. "You're fine with that?"

Her eyes narrowed. It couldn't be possible that Dean could read her mind, could it? The woman wasn't going to let him lord it over her at any rate. "Yeah I'm fine with it. Unless you don't think you can do it."

"Trust me sweetheart, it's a cake walk."

"One would hope."


	6. Chapter 6

* * *

Mae tapped the pen on the table. Waiting was not her strong suit and she was aware of it. At least this time, when she snapped it was at Cal and he understood, more or less. It was peculiar. The way she felt was strange and it gnawed at the back of her mind. If there was one thing she could do well, it was hiding her emotions, hide the truth but for some reason they bubbled to the surface with disturbing readiness.

Was it Dean himself? Was it this case? Was it...she couldn't pinpoint what it was, but she knew she did not normally act this way? She turned away from the laptop. The scans of the photos would have to make do although she wished she had more. As she stood, she hooked her thumbs through the belt loops of her pants. Pacing the room, she wasn't sure why she could not remain steady. She could practically feel the tension emanating from the other room. "Pull it together." She muttered.

Mae could not wrap her mind around the case at hand. All of the facts seemed to drift to the wayside, and she felt more focused on the issues between her and Dean. That wasn't the mentality she needed. With a sigh, she pressed her fingers to her temples. The photos were scanning all too slowly. She could hear Dean arguing with Sam in the other room and only half wanted to know what it was about. The other half of her knew she would only get pulled into the argument. It was almost a relief to not be bickering.

"Mae, Mae, Mae… just think." With a sigh she slapped her hands on her thighs. "What the hell am I wearing?"

The outfit wasn't uncomfortable, but it made her feel out of sorts and not nearly centered enough. Maybe worn jeans, scared boots and a comfortable shirt would help a little. She pulled her hair free of its constraints of the bun before pulling off her shirt. The slacks followed and she tossed them over the spare chair. Her thin trouser socks were pulled off with much less care.

The carpet was threadbare at best and she knew it was better not to think about it as she grabbed her bag to get her change of clothes. Pulling on her jeans, she studied the articles, pictures and notes she had pinned to the wall.

"Could be spell work. Wouldn't be the craziest spell I've seen. But that girl couldn't have been that powerful, could she?"

Both her hands drug through her hair. It all felt wrong somehow. She bit her lip as she finished changing and running down the case to herself. Mae would have called Cal again, but she knew he was not in the mood to comfort her nerves or reassure her that she wasn't having boy problems. She had also asked him to do real work and he didn't want to be disturbed just to be a sounding board.

Her mind circled around nothing in particular until she heard the door shut in the next room. A puff of air escaped her lungs. The tension eased out of her body, in a purely physical reaction. She had no way to know Dean had left without checking except she started feeling better. She didn't like that. Even during their last big fight, she had never felt relief like this at his absence. It wasn't just the lack of fighting but the lack of him. The need to fight was gone too.

She didn't like it. Her lips quirked with her next idea; she was crazy. It was possible that it had been a slow slide, but it was just as likely that he was purposefully making her feel that way. Maybe he wasn't after friendship but trying to punish or torment her. Maybe he hadn't forgiven her, maybe he wasn't trying to make amends, maybe he really still hated her. That wasn't crazy, was it? Or was it too crazy? She didn't know any more. There were more than enough reasons not to like Dean, even more for him to not want anything to do with her but there they were. Dean was a part of her, whether she liked it or not. A few days before, she thought perhaps things were getting better.

Mae stopped. Things _were_ getting better. As much as things could get better when you had slept with someone's father and run away from a man you loved more than you could imagine. They still had issues, they would both admit that. She was resistant, to a degree, but not totally. For whatever reason, she couldn't fight the pull he had for her. So, for things to so suddenly and drastically change, to throttle from simple tension and awkwardness to the nasty conflict, there something had to be doing it.

Could it be that they were… caught in whatever was going down in this town? Her brow arched questioningly as she grabbed a pen and the pad of paper by the bed. She wrote 'unexplained outbursts' and added it to the notes on the wall. It didn't explain anything but maybe they should look into things like bar fights, domestic disturbances, or anything that mirrored what they were dealing with. It wasn't just Dean, she reminded herself. She and Dean both had moments where they snapped at Sam. Not to the same extent but perhaps it was only because they didn't have that underlying tension with him.

The small note among the others was not only a huge understatement but perhaps a wistful hope that she and Dean weren't the problem. If they could claim their strange reactions around each other were due to spells or ghosts or some other unearthly issues, it meant that maybe, just maybe, they weren't complete screw ups. Maybe they had some hope for being able to be more than the jobs and find some sort of connection to humanity.

Mae knew Dean would have scoffed at that, wondering how she could even believe that she was trying to find that connection while being so closed off. At this moment, she wished she could more easily be closed off. She wanted to feel, to act, more together. It wasn't even that she and Dean were bickering. It was that it was so pointless, and it then veered into unnecessary personal attacks.

She dragged her hand through her red hair. They had more clues than had theories. After hearing what the boys had learned about the cattle, she wasn't so sure about her original theory. Witch didn't seem to fit, not to her. It was a witch, it was potentially the most powerful one they'd ever run up against and they would need more help for that.

The beep behind her signaled that her photos had finished scanning and transmitting to her professor friend. She sat down in front of the computer again, hoping that there was more she could dig up. Twin Falls was a strange city; small but not too small with an astoundingly high crime rate. But that had been going on for some time. She wouldn't focus in on that right now. Pushing superfluous thought out of her head, she got to her research.

* * *

This was more like it, Dean thought. He and his brother getting back to basics. He almost smiled at the though. He wanted to find his dad, hunt with his brother, and maybe work things out with Mae. It was almost too much to ask for all of it. His last goal seemed almost unobtainable. When they had been calling each other, she was just slightly less than standoffish. At first, he wasn't convinced that she even had an interest in talking with him. But little by little, they got closer.

Having here now and feeling so strangely out of control was something he hadn't anticipated. It didn't make any sense. Something would have to give, and he knew without question that it would be Mae. She was the easiest to let go of because he knew he needed his brother and his father. Mae would have been a bonus. Maybe, once this was over, the needed to go their separate ways. It was a big country, there were a lot of monsters that needed killing. They could avoid each other. He didn't want to say it out loud but there was a part of him that knew throwing her into the mix was just too much. Maybe it always had been.

Putting distance between the motel, between the redhead made him feel better. Normal. It wasn't right. Up until now, thinking about her didn't fill him with anger so much as frustration and… something. Not since the hunt for the duende had his feelings come this close. He had forgiven her, for the most part. He couldn't say he fully understood it, but he did believe that while she used the opportunity to keep him out of her life, her ultimate intention had not been to hurt him.

While she still seemed to be keeping him at a distance, she'd relented somewhat, and he thought she was working on that. He didn't believe it was singularly her or her influence. It was the case. It was his missing father. It was Sam's dreams. It was... it was everything, but it wasn't whatever his mind was coming up with.

None of this was right. He shouldn't have been so easily goaded into a fight with her. He shouldn't have let his temper and his fear come to the surface in comments he made to her. He shouldn't have felt more for her than was necessary and above all, it shouldn't have gotten in the way of anything. He shouldn't have cared about more than the case. But he did. It came into stark contrast when he wasn't so near her. This whole situation was jacked up, he decided.

His brother spoke idly about the case, the town, and Dean only partially listened. He knew his little brother was dying to ask him or say something about Mae, but he didn't. It was better that way. Sam knew better than to open that can of worms. Dean wouldn't say word one about the woman until he was ready, until the need to tell someone overwhelmed him.

They shifted into a familiar mode as the brothers pulled up to the sheriff's office. With fake I.D.s in hand, they entered as if there were no other place they belonged more. His sharp eyes surveyed the small office. A sneer appeared and quickly disappeared from his face. The thought of this po-dunk sheriff and Mae left an unpleasant taste it his mouth and he wasn't sure why. Not jealousy but something else, he rationed. You didn't get jealous over men who were clearly no threat to a woman who you weren't in a relationship with, the voice in of reason in Dean's head reminded him.

As always, Dean tried to charm the receptionist with a look that he knew had her warming to him. His brother however got right down to business. The rather busty Sharron told them she would let Sheriff Brand know they had arrived without ever taking her eyes off Dean. He did not hesitate to give her a once over as she spun in her chair, stood and walked towards the back office. Turning back to Same he was met with a disapproving glare which he countered with a grin. "You gotta lighten up Sammy."

Sam didn't say anything as they took a seat in the small waiting area, but Dean was well aware of the younger man's disapproval. Dean cleared his throat as he loosened his tie a bit while they sat waiting for the sheriff. He hated suits. He hated having to talk to this sheriff, more than usual. And he knew it was because of Mae. He wasn't on his A game with her or with this case so far. If only he knew how to correct it.

The sheriff was not what he had imagined. Dean had envisioned or at least hoped for a balding, deteriorating man with potbelly and a toothless smile. The man who greeted them with a certain small-town ease was not any of those things. He was tall, blonde and rather handsome. Looking like that, the guy probably had no problem getting chicks. The thought came to his mind unbidden. And, he decided, the man wouldn't stop to consider Mae as anything but a good time. It was easy to recognize those things when you saw them in yourself. And the sheriff had a look to him that Dean just didn't like.

It wasn't simply because he was a law and order type but everything. He was amiable, which in his current state of mind, made Dean like him even less than if he had been a hard ass. The guy wasn't even aware of what he had on his hands. The three hunters didn't exactly have a good idea but, he though, they were at least on the right sort of track. This was their sort of thing. At least their guesses were probably close to the truth than anything the sheriff or speculation in the town would merit.

"Agents…"

"Halford and Downing." Dean finished as he and his brother presented their badges.

The sheriff looked from each badge then to each man before he gave a friendly smile. Dean tried to keep his lip from curling in a snarl. "Why don't you come on back to my office? You're here about the Morell girl?"

"That's right." Sam said.

"You know it's funny," The sheriff began, turning to walk back to his desk as Dean offered a snarky glare, "pretty, redhead reporter was asking the same questions this morning."

Dean clenched his teeth at the word 'pretty' in relation to Mae. Of course, she would have to come up first thing. "You don't say."

Sheriff Brand leaned back in his chair. "I get the feelin' there's something I'm missing." Dean bit his tongue to keep from saying 'bet you get that feeling a lot' but he couldn't exactly keep a straight face.

"Well, Sheriff, perhaps you can tell us why this case fell under your jurisdiction." Sam said.

Brand chuckled slightly. "The girl was found in an unincorporated part of the county by some hikers. That's all in the report boys. Now my question is why the FBI is interested in one devil worshiping girl?"

That almost brought a grin to Dean's face. At least the guy was straight forward. "We're following some leads, they led us here."

"Agent Halford," the sheriff began, addressing Dean, "you may not be able to appreciate this, but this sort of thing has everyone around here on edge. It's not going to calm anyone down to have not only an outta town reporter but now the FBI poking into it."

Sam leaned in before Dean could make things worse with his sharp tongue and unexplained grudge. "We can understand that but why are people so on edge around here?"

"Wouldn't you be?"

"People around here really believe this is… witchcraft?" Sam hit that perfect balance of digging for the details while coming off as a solid disbeliever.

"If this is where your lead led you, then you know all the occult stuff that girl was into. We don't have a better explanation."

"And that's what you told the reporter?" Dean inquired.

The sheriff chuckled. "She might be pretty but I'm not about to give her something like that to run with. Trust me, I told her everything she needed for a juicy enough story but to be honest with you, we don't have a lot. Morell had a reputation in the town and maybe she was a witch, maybe she wasn't. But it sure looks like someone killed her because they thought she was one."

Dean was surprised by the rational way the sheriff spoke, his acceptance that whatever it was someone probably believed that it had something to do with the supernatural, even though he clearly didn't think it was the cause. Then Brand leaned forward with a hard look in his previously friendly eyes. "We don't need that around here. Unless you boys have some way to lend a hand, I suggest you head back to Washington and figure out a pretty way to tell them you came up empty handed."

"Well, with all due respect Sheriff, we're not here to lend a hand; we're here to solve this case. I suggest that you give us everything we ask for. We need to see the body. While you're at it, why don't you tell me the name of this supposedly pretty reporter. And I suggest not telling her anymore without checking with us for. You could be jeopardizing the investigation."

Dean leaned back, a relaxed but utterly powerful look to his face and body. He locked eyes with the sheriff, daring him to call his bluff and feeling slightly superior for possibly blocking off Mae from doing anything but work with them. The blond man seemed to weigh the options all the while making it clear he didn't like Dean.

"Of course, agents."

The sheriff stood, only agreeing with the brash, cocky agent because he knew they had exactly nothing and the community was more important than bravado at that point. There would have to be some rumor control after the two feds left but for now, these the men might have the answers. They could perhaps at least discredit the ritualistic Satanism theory. That was absolutely not what was happening but there were few ways to get people to believe that there wasn't some sort of cult activity. Brand wasn't above using the agents or the reporter to help but ultimately, he was hoping to keep them all out of the way.

The fight broke out quickly, dissolving and tension or back and forth. The crash and shatter of glass brought all three men out of the office and into the bullpen. The shock was evident on all of their faces as two grown men clashed on the floor among the shards of glass and toppling furniture. The cries of infidelity and a slew of creative curses were allowed to permeate the room before a set of uniformed men pulled them apart.

Sheriff Brand let out a curt sigh as he ran his hand through his cropped hair. Sam's eyebrows rose as he looked between the damage done by the men and the sheriff. "Is that… typical?"

Brand laughed but it was bitter. "I wish I could say that was the strangest thing I've seen around here lately. Gentlemen, unless you have more questions, I'll have someone call ahead to the morgue and let the boys know you're on your way. I have a mess to clear up here."

The brothers looked at each other knowingly before giving the sheriff a nod. "We'll be in touch." Dean added if only to annoy the law officer more.

* * *

Dean and Sam walked out of the station in silence, bewilderment passing over both of their faces. They had nearly crossed the parking lot and reached the Impala before either spoke. "So that was…"

"Weird." Sam finished.

"Yeah, I'll say. What the hell is going on here Sam?" Dean said over roof of the car, pausing for a moment.

With a sigh, Sam mirrored the sheriff's earlier gesture as he too ran his hand through much shaggier hair. "I have no idea." His expression suddenly became more serious. "But do you have to act like that?"

Frowning, Dean turned to get in the car. "Like what?"

At least, Sam though, his brother had disappeared inside the car with the familiar creak of the door and didn't see his shrewd smirk or eye roll. He wasn't going to let his brother get off the hook, however. "C'mon man, are you're so unaware of how you are with any law enforcement officer? And with this one, it seemed personal."

Starting the car, he shot his younger brother an authoritative frown. "Dude, he's a bumpkin sheriff with a hard on for Mavis."

"Like you don't." Sam muttered under his breath.

Dean's voice was terse "What?"

"Nothin'. There's no proof, or reason, for him to be interested in Mae. He doesn't even know her real name. But even if he is, who cares? Right now, we need him to not be in our way. You could just be a little less aggressive, okay?"

He could see his little brother out of the corner of his eye, looking far too cocky over thinking he had won. "Look, we both know that sheriff doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to _our_ job and his little crush on Mae is going to get in the way, trust me on this."

"What about yours?"

His head whipped around to glare down Sam. "My what?"

"Your crush on Mae." Sam said, matter-of-factly. "And the weird ass way you're both dealing with it."

Dean slammed his hand against the steering wheel, gritting his teeth. "I don't have a crush on Mae," he said sternly, "I'm not saying we don't need her because… well this doesn't make any sense but it's just business, that's it."

Of course, even if he didn't know him the way he did, Sam would have known that whatever existed between his brother and Mae was not that clean cut. "Yeah. Even before you to started snapping at each other, it was anything but business. And what the hell are you fighting about anyway?"

"Damned if I know. Why don't you ask Mae?"

And Dean didn't know, not exactly. There was a long list of things it could have been and should have been but when they were arguing, when they were together his head was filled with anything but the reasonable answers. It almost scared him, the disturbing images and thoughts that made their way into his mind. He had seen a lot, done a lot but not anything that had come up for him when he was with Mae now. He didn't like it. It wasn't who he knew himself to be.

"Don't you find it odd that neither of you knows why you're fighting, just that you like it?"

Dean was quiet. The thought had crossed his mind more than a few times, but a real answer had yet to present itself.

"Yeah well… she's a weird chick, you know?"


	7. Chapter 7

* * *

It was quite here. Not the physical surroundings but her mind. Calm. Her surroundings weren't actually quiet, they were alive with noise. The waterfall roared and behind that, she could hear the birds and insects, chirping and buzzing in a world totally devoid of any measure of the madness she'd felt lately. It wasn't on the list of 'to-dos' nor was it an area they needed to investigate. She just needed to take a step back. It was nice.

She actually liked being able to get away from cities, from people. Closing her eyes, a soft smile crept over her face. As evening approached, she noted that the sky was still slightly over cast but no longer raining. She walked along the edge of the overlook, the deep frothy pit of constantly churning water a mysterious and almost foreboding presence. Just staring down into that water somehow negated her minor fear of heights. Caution, she reminded herself. It wasn't fear, it was simply a cautious aspect of her nature. Maybe she needed caution now; this case, this town, and Dean all added up to trouble but beyond that, she couldn't see much else. Except out here.

The case didn't make sense, there were too many variables, and none really helped pin down the issue at hand. A dead girl people claimed was witch, extreme weather changes, animal mutilation, an increase in number of miscarriages and SIDS over the last month, that mysterious script, and she had to throw in her arguments with Dean meant something. The nagging in her gut was telling her it was a demon. Demonic activity hit on most of those occurrences. But there were no other telltale signs. Maybe she just wanted it to be a demon. It could have been a seriously out of control witch but that didn't make sense to her. Even an out of control spell…

She had come out here to center herself, get away from all of the madness. All of the swirling of emotions seemed to subside out here. She wondered just how long she could stay before she had to go back to whatever what masquerading as reality. That time was shorter than she had hoped before her phone rang, meriting a few annoyed glances from the few people who had sought solace or entertainment out here too. She ignored them and much to her surprise, a hint of smile crept up on her when she saw it was Dean.

"Hey."

Her voice was smooth. If Dean didn't know better, he would say she just got laid. But if she had, he didn't want to think about it. It was easier to make up some other story about why she seemed more relaxed now. She'd only said one word and he wanted to indulge in it as much as possible. In the next word, everything could go wrong again. He couldn't spend time dissecting a single word. He had more information to share.

"Hey. You're not at the motel."

"Top notch detective work there Columbo."

He frowned. Dean had been hoping she was just at the ice machine or getting something to eat. The annoyance at not being told where she had gone was only minor though. He had a more important question. "Where are you? What the hell is that sound?"

"Waterfall."

"Waterfall?"

"Yeah. Two of them actually."

"Two?"

" _Twin_ Falls? What did you think the city was named for?"

He snorted a short laugh. God help him but he liked her. "I figured it was sort of like Twin Peaks you know? I was waiting for David Duchovny in a dress."

Her brow quirked. "Yeah and I'm waiting for Kyle MacLachlan but that ain't gonna happen. Plus, I'm pretty sure there were peaks in Twin peaks. Two of them."

Dean laughed on the other line, but Mae got the distinct feeling it wasn't over the weak joke.

"What?" She asked.

"You notice how the only time we get along is on the phone."

She had been thinking the same thing. It seemed to be a sorry truth and the frown touched her mouth. "Maybe it is." She said softly, and then paused before continuing on, "So why did you call?"

Dean sighed, not wanting to let go of the moment. It was all too long since they had found their last genuine moment. He cleared his throat. "For one, Barney Fife has a crush on you."

"That's what you called to tell? You're an idiot."

Mae's tone while questioning was still full of humor. "Okay well actually, we took a look at the girl and yeah she is our witchy woman."

"Yeah?" "

"Yeah, without a doubt. And that cuneiform isn't just drawn on her, it's burned into her skin."

The look on her face said 'ick' but she didn't vocalize it. "Oh well that's a happy thought."

"Even happier is the idea I'm getting that this is big." Dean concluded.

Mae pinched the bridge of her nose as she began walking down to the trail to the visitor's parking area. "I'm starting to think that's an understatement."

Dean closed his eyes, listening to her breath for a moment before bringing himself back to reality. "Wanna come check out the girl's house with us?"

She paused. "Maybe I shouldn't."

"What? Why not?"

Part of her wondered what motivated Dean to keep trying, despite the scads of evidence that should have told him to let things be with them. "Uh, we keep going after each other and it's losing its charm. I just...I'm tired of it and we haven't gotten anywhere."

"We're making progress. Think of it as one big fight." She wanted to laugh but she frowned. Just talking to him without fighting, maybe some playful teasing was so much nicer than the tension and anxiety. "C'mon Mae."

"I really think it's better if I just go back to the motel and…" Mae wasn't sure what she would do but she thought the more time she could spend on this case away from Dean, the better.

"Sorry sweetheart, you're the witch expert among us so you need to come."

Mae scoffed. "How am I the witch expert?"

"Were you even there when you grew up?"

She sighed, ran her free hand threw her hair and sighed again. "Fine. What's the address?"

* * *

Dean flipped idly through the pages of the case file but mostly, he was waiting for Mae. It was a test to see if their earlier theory was accurate. They hadn't argued, things hadn't gotten heated. They'd traded a few barbs but nothing that was hurtful or mean. Maybe they couldn't get along, maybe they would just have to keep it to phone calls only. That was the smart plan, even if they got along. Dean knew he should keep his distance from her; Mae set him off in ways he couldn't have anticipated.

Even now, she made his breath catch when he saw her. That needed to stop he decided, it was absurd to feel this way. It was dark now, but the streetlights caught her in its warm, gold light. Her hair was down again, brushing lightly against her cotton clad shoulders. Her skin was pale, and she looked almost delicate. She was, of course, anything but her wavy red hair, gray eyes, and light skin seemed to oppose her personality. Her frame was rather lean and long, perhaps if her exposed arms weren't so muscular one might assume that she was ethereal, no more than a wisp of a woman.

She was a solider with only hints of it displayed on her face and body. Dean's heart thrummed clumsily against in his chest as he tried to rationalize the purely carnal feelings, he had for her. From the other side of the street he knew what she smelled like-crisp soap, citrusy shampoo, and maybe a hint of a subtle and feminine perfume. The jeans and tank top were far from elegant or enticing but he liked the way she looked in them. Mae was not a heartthrob, she was not breathtaking, but she was a pretty woman, slender, pleasant looking and attractive. The woman was built for hunting. If she had been more beautiful, she would have been noticeable, less lovely and she might not have been able to use her looks. No, Dean thought, Mae was perfect.

He watched her, not even pretending to hide his interest. It bordered on obscene Mae thought. Those noticeably hypnotic eyes pierced her. Or they were undressing her, either way his gaze was a little too intense for her liking. All the same, she leaned down to rest her forearms on the open window of the car when she reached it. Dean forced himself not to look at her, knowing that his gaze would be smack-dab in her cleavage.

"So," Her gaze passed between the brothers, noting they were still in their suits, "What's the story with us?"

Knowing that she referred to whatever story they planned on telling the occupants, Sam smiled. "We actually caught a break on that one. No one's home."

Mae's crimson brow arched. "That's convenient."

"The girl's parents are on vacation or something like that."

"Still?" frowning, Mae stepped back as Dean got out of the car, "They didn't come back when they found out their little girl got dead?"

Dean shrugged as he pulled his coat into place. It was an impulse and afterwards, Mae was grateful he said nothing, but she straightened his tie. The tall man watched her face as her slender fingers adjust the fabric before they dropped to her sides aimlessly. Her face didn't reveal anything as she slid the knot up tighter but not uncomfortably so. Her eyes met his briefly but reluctantly. "Just in case. Now you look a little less like Detective Sipowicz."

Because it was Mae, because he liked the gesture and because she was genuine about the whole thing, he didn't loosen the tie again. He smiled slightly as she turned away from him. The three of them fell into line, surveying, monitoring, and keeping guard as Dean broke the police seal and picked the lock.

Quiet as night, they slid inside the house, keeping each other covered as they spread out into the living room. The house as a little too still Mae thought. It didn't even creak as they stepped lightly on the carpeting. It was clear no one had been in the house since their witched died. The air was overly warm and stuffy as if the house had been sealed off far longer.

"Here." Dean handed her his spare flashlight.

Her eyes narrowed a bit before she took it. "I don't wanna know where you were hiding this."

They stayed silent but Dean smirked at her as they each started searching in separate directions. Sam headed up the stairs, Dean took to the family room and Mae went towards the kitchen. She had the distinct feeling someone was watching her as she walked the old house. It was all in her head because there was no sign that anyone else had been in the house. She tried to shake it but couldn't. It was entirely possible, she reminded herself, that she was being watched by whoever or whatever had killed the girl.

The 'crime scene' she found, much to her dismay was fairly clean if uninteresting. It could have been any of a number of homes. Any sense of personality seemed to be sanitized or removed. That was sort of sad, she thought. Whatever issues she had with her family… Mae sigh. She realized that despite the warmth of her uncle's house, she never really felt entirely wanted. It was the same feeling she got from this house.

Still, she didn't get much of a feel from the house. Mae tended to trust her gut and there was something very wrong in this house, but she didn't know what it was exactly. All the same, she pulled her EMF reader out of her pocket as she walked the house, reminding herself that just because nothing was peaking didn't mean there wasn't something there. She listened to her own breath and the muted motions of the other two men in the house.

Mae did a rudimentary scan of the cupboards, the pantry, even the fridge. No one had come to clean it out and time was taking its toll. Even Dean's bottomless pit of stomach would have turned uncomfortably at the state of the remaining food. This was just weird. Who, outside of their strange families, left their teenage daughter alone for this long? Even if they did, why wouldn't they have returned?

At least she was alone when she jumped at the ringing of her phone. Mae rolled her neck before answering. She had been distinctly uncomfortable since they'd gotten to Twin Falls and now, she felt a bit foolish. "Yeah?" She answered gruffly.

"Ms. Norton?"

Her mouth quirked at the Sheriff's rather formal addressing of her.

"Sheriff, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Would you like to go to dinner? With me?" He added at her initial lack of response.

Her eyes loomed on the door, waiting for Sam or Dean to interrupt her, to catch her in the act. But then she remembered she wasn't doing anything wrong. If she were on this case alone, she wouldn't have thought twice about it. And why, she reasoned, did she need to worry about any of that now?

"I… you know, I think I'd like that."

"Yeah?"

"Sure."

"How about tomorrow night? There's a couple lose ends I have to tie up here."

She bit the inside of her cheek. Was it too selfish to stop the investigation because of a cute guy? Mae shook her head. It was peculiar; they both had this case to solve although they were coming at it from entirely different angles.

The good sheriff didn't seem too worried though. Strange.

"Wow, you're going to wrap this case up that quickly?"

"Well, it's outta our hands now. The case is in the through and efficient hands of the Fed." Judging from the tone in his voice, things had not gone smoothly when the boys spun their fake FBI tale. "And I've been advised not to discuss the case with outsiders so I'm afraid, this meeting would be strictly for pleasure."

While she knew Sheriff Brand was trying to be charming, all she felt was the one-two punch that Dean had effectively delivered through the other man's words. Even after his whole 'teamwork' talk, he had gone behind her back. Maybe he thought that she wouldn't find out, but it hurt, more than it should have.

"Yeah, okay then." She said softly, not really interested in the conversation with Brand or even checking over the house.

If he noticed the change in her intonation, he let it slide. He told her the name and address of a restaurant he thought she might like and suggested they meet at 7:00 the next night, providing something didn't come up. Mae agreed and hung up.

"Hey."

He surprised her. She wasn't certain how long she had been standing there but seeing Dean did not help the feelings ease. Her jaw clenched and her stormy colored eyes focused harshly on him.

"Were you talking to someone?" Dean asked but at her stony silence stepped closer. "What's wrong?"

His concern seemed genuine, which confused her. "What kind of game are you playing?"

The fire in her eyes was the dangerous kind and Dean knew it. It was the one that said if he couldn't defuse it, she was going to start swinging. And he didn't know why. "You're gonna have to be more specific."

"We're a team? We have to actually work together?"

He grinned. "Yeah and we should get a prize for the past few hours, right?"

"You ass!"

"Mae—"

"No! You don't get to try and pacify me or turn this around. You were pissed off because you didn't know about my talking to the sheriff. I can appreciate that but then you turn around and tell him not to talk to _me_?"

Oh. Well that made more sense, Dean thought. He hadn't anticipated her finding out, at least not finding out that it was his idea. After all, the sheriff might have understood where he was coming from, but Mae knew otherwise.

Dean held his hands up in surrender but still tried to offer her a charismatic smirk. "Okay about that-"

"About that?" she repeated skeptically, "There's an explanation you have buried somewhere in that brain-dead skull of yours that will make me think that you're not dicking me around?"

Dean didn't have one, not that she would like any way.

"Guys?" Sam asked hesitantly.

It wasn't difficult to hear everything they had been fighting about as they'd been having their argument in half hushed tones, he caught enough to know it was about the power-play with the local authorities. The redhead lived up to her fiery reputation. While he wanted to feel bad for his brother, Sam knew Dean had gotten himself into this situation. Both parties in question turned towards him. His brother wore a look of relief, but Mae looked white hot mad.

"What?" The answered together.

That little habit was getting annoying, Sam thought but shook it off. "I found something upstairs." He said.

"You wanna be a little more specific or shall we play 20 questions?" The woman was still pissed, and she had no tolerance for Sam interrupting his tirade on Dean. After all, he hadn't stopped his brother from stonewalling her.

"Well I think maybe you'd like to take a look."

Mae's eyes narrowed. "Just fuckin' say it! Neither one of you can just come out and say anything?"

"It's not that, Mae. Please?"

Sam did his best to neutralize her with his signature puppy dog eyes. Her expression didn't soften but gave him a dismissive fine before moving to follow him up the stairs.

If she hadn't been so unusually angry, she would have stopped, speculated or stood agog at the scene in the young witch's bedroom. As their flashlights moved over the room, they found the same symbols her body were scrawled all over the walls.

Standing in the door frame, away from Sam and Dean who had entered the room, she listened to about half of what the younger brother was saying. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her lips pressed together in a thin, white line. It took all her power not to grind her teeth together. There was no getting around her desire to ram her fist into Dean's face.

She realized her attention wasn't as keen as she assumed when both Winchesters turned back to look at her.

"What?" She questioned curtly.

"So… what do you think?"

Her response was deadpan serious and icy cold. "Yeah witch girl. Great. Get the leg screw… oh wait, she'd dead. I'm going to check the basement."

Without any more discussion, she turned to leave. What an ass! Well, Mae thought, if those brothers thought they could push her out of the case, they had another thing coming. It wasn't like she had asked to come here. This was a favor and now they were treating her like a second-class citizen. If she had stayed up there, she would have been seeing red. She would not have said it outright but at that point in time, she didn't know if she could have contained herself much longer.

"This job sucks out loud." Mae muttered to herself.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

A troubled looked passed over Dean's face. He was, of course, his own worst enemy. Sam commiserated with his brother for this even if he had set himself up for Mae's anger. "So, are you actively trying to piss her off now or…?"

"Dude." Dean ran his hand over his face with a heavy sigh catching in his chest, "I don't even know any more. I don't think I can do this with her."

"What part?"

"All of it. There's too much… there's just too much shit between us."

"Dad?"

"It's not even that. I mean sure, there are issues but no. I've got… I get around her and…"

"You both go totally insane. And that's saying something."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Sam." Shaking his head he let his eyes wander of the cuneiform script on the walls. "She fixed my tie."

"What?"

"Mae, earlier. We had this… moment and then we got in here, she got a phone call and…"

"She wasn't exactly wrong on that one."

"I know"

"Then why did you do it? You thought she would keep something from us?"

Dean sighed. "No, I thought… we'll learn the same things so if she talks to the sheriff or us…" Dean paced the room as he loosened his tie. That overwhelming anxious feeling when he was with her was back. Dammit. "I would just rather have her need me, us than that other guy."

Sam smirked, behind his brother's back naturally. "Yeah… so you're jealous?"

Dean turned with narrowed eyes. Not filled with anger, Sam wagered, but apprehension. "I'm not jealous. There would have to be something to be jealous of for me to be jealous. It's pretty clear she can't stand me. We need to be a better team. I guess I thought this would help."

"Really?" Sam asked. Mae wasn't the most patient person he had met, and he knew if she found out, she would react the way she had. Even so… Dean shook his head as his brother laughed cynically. "Oh, it worked out great. I've always wanted a woman who could kill me and get away with it to be pissed off at me."

His brother had a point, Dean thought. Mae could be an unpredictable woman, but he was more worried about her getting those frosty eyes for him. He knew it was too sentimental, but he could stand her being mad but not distant. What he wanted from her scared him almost as much anything. He couldn't focus on that right then though. The case was more important. Scrubbing his hand over his face, he took a deep breath and looked around the room. "What the hell is all this Sam?"

His brother was upset, not just his usual indignant attitude towards witches and perhaps not just related to Mae. "I don't know."

"I'm serious, I mean, what's the point? Whatever this witch BS is about, what was she trying to do? Random violence? Death? Destruction?"

Dean had a point and Sam realized he had a habit of underestimating his brother. The man was oddly observant, even with the strangeness with Mae.

* * *

Her boots made a comforting squeak across the linoleum of the kitchen. Mae tried to use it to center herself. Being mad at Dean was getting her nowhere, even if he deserved some of it. This was the first time during their back and forth that she thought it made even a bit of sense but felt her reaction was overblown. Perhaps not her reaction but that swell of red-hot rage she. She knew what he was doing; he was trying to close the loop. Perhaps a part of her could understand the foundation of his mistrust but there were bigger issues at stake.

"Get your head in the game, Singer."

She headed to the basement, wanting to find some distance from the overwhelming heat that seemed to build in the pit of her stomach. The stairs creaked and groaned at her motion and she just listened carefully, distraction more than attention. This case was weird, but she was beginning to see something develop. Or maybe she was developing that theory out of desperation. They were dealing a witch and whatever that damn cuneiform said was the key. Everything was right in front of them. They just had to pick out the clues. And she and Dean had to keep their personal issues out of it.

The basement was dark, smelled rather musty, dusty and… something else. She recognized it but couldn't put her finger on what it was. She inhaled deeply but only frowned. Her head wasn't in the right place yet, but she knew she would figure it out.

The light switch didn't work so she turned on her flashlight when the pale light coming from the open door failed to bring the room out of darkness. With the narrow beam, she scanned the small room. "Hell."

There was no way to put a rosy spin on this room. If they hadn't been certain the girl was a witch, her basement altar proved the point. Still, it was strange. There was none of the spooky cuneiform writing on the walls here. It looked similar to Wiccan alters. There was nothing, on her cursory examination that said black magic. The girl's room had.

But this was different. Duality, she thought for a moment. She stepped off the landing onto the cement floor. Her boots made a scraping sound now and angling her flashlight down, she found a gritty substance. She crouched down to take a bit of the substance between her thumb and forefinger. She rubbed it between her fingers before touching her finger to her tongue.

"Ick. Saltpeter. What the hell?" She let her light follow the path of the saltpeter, which appear to have been mixed with ground blue stones as well, to find it formed a circle. "Who was trying to protect who from what here?"

From that position, she scanned the room. In the light, she thought, the room might look downright respectable. Well, acceptable. It was hidden from most, probably because being called a witch around here wouldn't have been beneficial, but it seemed rather benign. The altar appeared to be run of the mill. A part of her had wished there were drippy black candles, chicken bones, fresh blood or anything that might just scream 'bad witch' but it wasn't there.

Rather, this one said, 'good witch' and possibly scared witch. It was all about protection, repel and reverse, and hex breaking. Maybe there was a spell that backfired, and the girl had tried to undo it. Her eyebrows rose, not so much at that revelation but at something she noticed out of the corner of her eyes.

She bent down, picking up the bundle of sticks. They were loosely tied together with a leather cord, off of which hung some sort of charm. She didn't recognize it but well… it was something in this line of work you didn't ignore. Taking a cloth out of her pocket, she wrapped the bundle to look at later.

Things weren't adding up, at least not to what they thought they were supposed to add up to. "Someone was scared. Someone knew what was going on and maybe what was going to happen." Mae mumbled to herself. "So, who are you and what do you know?"

The bells in the corner rang, without real cause as no breeze or motion in the air was present. It sent a chill up her spine and her hand to her gun, tucked in the waistband of her jeans. She remained still, her breathing the only sound in the room. It did not change the feeling that she was being watched, that she wasn't alone, but she had checked every corner. If anyone had been there, she would have seen them. If they'd followed her down, she would have heard the squeak of the stairs. Mae decided she had seen enough, and it was due time to head back towards the surface.

Stopping in the kitchen as she exited the basement, she listened for the boys. A small, scratch that, large part of her hoped to hear them arguing. At least then, it wasn't just her or Dean. She _couldn't_ stop fighting with him to save her life. Just him.

That was part of it, she knew, part of the whole spell or whatever it was. She couldn't say but it didn't feel like just any sort of spell, at least not one she was familiar with. Ghost, ghoul, or any other creature she had tangled with had never done this much broad-spectrum damage. It was big. Demon maybe. It could be a demon but if it was then this was bigger than anything she had seen. Bigger than anything the boys had probably faced too.

The thought came, very reluctantly, that she might have to call her uncle. Bobby would most certainly know how to put this bitch down. Mae sighed. She would swallow her pride if it came to that but not until they knew for sure.

* * *

"Here, smell this." She said as she stepped out onto the porch with the boys, unwrapping the bundle of twigs she'd found in the basement. The faces of both men turned up in aversion. "Oh c'mon, just smell."

"I hate this game." Sam said before leaning down and cautiously sniffing the bundle. "Basil and… rue?"

"Yeah and I'm pretty sure these are hollowed elderberry twigs too." Mae answered turning the cloth she held with one hand before smelling it again.

It seemed like something strange to find in that house, particularly with all the bad hoodoo they had found upstairs. The sticks wrapped together with a thick red piece of fabric containing the herbs, a leather band and a very strange clay charm. Sam touched it, trying to determine what exactly it was. "Okay but isn't the elder tree supposed to ward off evil?"

Intrigued, he picked up the bundle and the cloth up to examine it more closely. Mae dusted her hands together now they were free as she focused on the brothers. "Basil and rue too. Although legend goes, if you cut down an elder tree without saying a chant to the elder mother that she comes after you and gets her revenge."

Sam's eyebrow arched at her little tidbit. Dean repressed a laugh. Usually, he thought, his brother was the one to whip out the useless information. "So what? All these deaths were committed by some tree spirit after these guys chopped down her tree?" Dean asked.

She wanted to laugh or chuckle at the very least, but she didn't want to give him the idea that she actually found his antics cute. Particularly because she usually did. "No. I don't know. Maybe. But this would be a bit much. I don't know." She said with a bit of humor in her eyes before continuing, "But judging by this, someone was worried that something was comin' after them."

"That's weird. Right?" Dean asked, taking the bundle of twigs now that it was safe.

"Well, it's not weird when you consider that half the house, the witch part anyway, is black magic central and someone was casting protection circles in the basement." She sighed again, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, worked so well." He said, handing the bundle back to Mae.

"Well, there is a crazy huge amount of protection juju down in that basement. I mean, every spell I can think of off the top of my head is down there. I don't know what the hell is going on here."

She shrugged, taking the bundle to study the charm a bit more. She would dissect the spell more when she had the chance.

The wheels were turning in Sam's head now and he had begun speculating. "We have more than one witch involved then?"

Again, she shrugged in a noncommittal way that Dean found somewhat endearing, which he discovered was quite annoying. "Maybe be. Could be."

"You think a coven is involved or something?" Dean asked, as if he had found foolproof logic and she would inevitably have to concede defeat.

"Maybe." She answered quite simply but Dean had the feeling that he hadn't won at all. "How many people you know could or would work up a spell like this? It's for protection, binding and binding works both ways. Besides it's white magic so maybe whatever this thing is has eyes on wiccans." It was annoying when she could so easily poke holes in his logic.

"I doubt that." He still had one more card up his sleeve.

"Yeah? Well good thing we have you. We don't even need to research." There was humor when she threw the words back at him.

"Actually sweetheart, I came to that conclusion because I've been working the case, not making goo goo eyes at some giant blond freak."

Mae wasn't even sure which part of that to tackle first but Sam jumped in, diffusing again. "Either way, we have the first indication that someone knew something went wrong now."

Dean and Mae's eyes locked as they tried to win their strange argument. Sam figured it would be best to let things dissolve on their own or at least not let them get into things right there. But Sam didn't know that they were looking for something else in that stare.

Mae didn't break eye contact with Dean, but she did respond. "Then let's ask around."


	9. Chapter 9

* * *

With questions still buzzing but none and little to do that night, the three hunters decided it would be best to get some sleep. There wasn't anything better to do, not that wouldn't raise suspicion or lead to more infighting. They'd pick the work back up in the morning.

They sat at the small coffee shop now. The morning rush had passed, and they were left with relative privacy. Almost relaxing… if you ignored the young woman who'd been ripped apart by some unknown evil, the slew of mysteries that seemed to keep popping up and whatever was driving Mae and Dean insane.

Sam was busy scanning articles and records for any clue regarding the house or the family. He knew he had to narrow down what he was looking for and the issue they focused on if they were going to get anywhere. Perhaps if they got the small details, they could piece the larger picture together later. He still held out hope that maybe it was something simple. "Dude," he said after reading one too many police blotters about incidences in Twin Falls, "there are a huge number of crimes here."

"Highest crime rate in the state."

Dean grinned at her over the paper he was perusing. "You're like a freakin' Oujia board of trivia."

She smirked back a bit. "There's very little to do around here in the winter."

For a moment, Dean's hazel green eyes met her smoky blue ones and he let the moment ease over himself. She made his heart trip just lightly as her lips quirked. It wasn't the conversation. It was that moment of connection and the noticeable lack of tension. It seemed if they spent a bit of time apart, they could get it to ratchet down, just a bit. He wished it wouldn't break the illusion to mention it or try to figure out how to keep it going. He knew she felt it though, the way her eyes settled on his and softened. Her smirk shifted into a smiled, a small one but a smile nonetheless.

"It could be a vengeful spirit." Sam said with hopefulness.

Dean could have smacked his brother but of course it would have been more unmerited than usual, and it was only a few seconds of prolonged eye contact that would have made onlookers uncomfortable.

With a sigh and a shrug Mae proceeded to deflate Sam's theory, much to Dean's amusement. "What spirit causes some angsty teen witch to end up dead covered in ancient text, miscarriages, and that weird cow thing?"

"Plus, the thing with you and Dean."

Mae frowned as did Dean, but neither could refute the point. "So, that's your spirit Sam?"

His laugh was filled with a self-conscious frustration. "I don't hear you coming up with a better idea," Sam said to Mae before turning to Dean, "Either of you,"

Dean laughed at her incensed 'well fine,' that followed as she rearranged her items to present the notepad she had been writing on as she enjoyed her coffee. "Oh yeah, Mae knows what it is. She's just been waiting for the perfect time for the big reveal. Would you like a drum roll sweetheart?"

"I sure would and then I'll show you where you can shove that drumstick. "

"Um guys?"

Mae offered Sam a reassuring smile. "Oh, not every threat is a fight. This was just…"

"Verbal sparring." Dean finished for her.

"Exactly. Anyway, drum roll aside, it struck me that nothing made sense or explained everything but," She offered up the pad with the chart she had made, "if you break it down… I think I found a pattern."

The brothers leaned in to look at what she had marked down. "See?" she asked, "if you look at the dates and the event…"

"Action and a reaction." Sam concluded.

"Yeah. I think we're dealing with two opposite forces here. Like one negative one and something trying to counteract it. So maybe it could be spirits but two of them. I don't know... I think it magic."

Dean sized up the table, noting that she had remembered the dates and locations off the top of her head to come up with this. Damn, she was good he thought before he asked, "But what?"

"Hey, I came up with this part. You two need to pitch in." She teased.

"Divide and conquer, baby."

* * *

On the way back to the motel, Sam and Dean discussed tactics. They had the witch and her house covered already as well as any information gained at the sheriff's office. They had argued most of the way back on how they should go about the next steps of their research.

"I think we should go back to that farm. Maybe Mae can charm some extra information out of that farmer."

"Sam, if the three of us go-"

"We don't need three people. Mae could go by herself."

"Dude, no way. We're not sending Mae out to the middle of nowhere Idaho on her own."

If Dean could listen to himself, maybe he would hear the affection, protective nature, and perhaps even love in his voice, his words. If that happened, maybe he would stop fighting with her. "You do realize how she was raised, that she's probably as heavily armed as anyone in Idaho, and that if anyone can handle themselves in the middle of nowhere, it's her right?'

Dean knew it but that didn't mean he had to like it or accept it. It seemed irresponsible to leave her completely unprotected. "I'm just saying, someone should go with her."

Sam bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at Dean's clear struggle with desire and common sense. "Well one of us could go you know."

"I…" he took a breath, " you. You go."

Every instinct Dean had said he should go with her, but he didn't know why. Obviously, things were so impossibly tense that they didn't stand a chance trying to work together in any kind of close quarters. He felt a little better with the idea of Sam and Mae working together, at least they'd both be safe that way.

"Wow Dean, I'm impressed. You're being an adult about this."

"If we keep fighting like this, I'll kill her. Or she'll kill me. I'm being practical."

Sam let himself chuckle now. "I'm still impressed."

"Bitch."

"Jerk"

Of course, deciding this arrangement between them did not mean that Mae would go along with the plan.

Her pretty face was set in rigid angles once more and as always, it hit her eyes the hardest. Her blue gray eyes iced over with the chill of an arctic lake and what Dean saw there almost made him smile. He wouldn't say exactly he was turned on by her when she was angry, but her eyes became clear and sharp when she was angry. "I don't need a... gigantic babysitter."

Her mouth was set in a firm line after she replied to his proposal. Oddly, Dean didn't want to fight with her about that. He just watched her, almost too contentedly as she paced their room. Something was different, Dean didn't know what, but it was almost… normal. The normal times were amazing now it was almost disturbing.

"The guy's already met us, it's an easy in. Besides this is a small enough town that if we don't stick to our stories…" Sam trailed off when he sensed logic wasn't penetrating her stone defiant face.

"There are a handful of other things to handle. If you want me to talk with that farmer, I'll just go out to the ranch. The two of you can talk with the chicks that miscarried or figure out if there's a secret underground coven."

"I'm not saying we don't have more but I think Dean's right. That's the strangest of the clues we have an we know the least about it."

"Despite the fact that you've already been out there."

In agreement, Sam nodded and hoped his softened expression would win her over. "We didn't know the right questions at the time."

"Fine," Mae relented after terse deliberation, "But I'm going with him." She pointed at Sam.

"Agreed." Both brothers said together.

* * *

"You know, we went to Lawrence."

There wasn't any explanation necessary past that point. She'd heard the story enough times growing up too. Her eyes slid from the road to glance at the young man next to her. She caught the sight of his Adam's apple bobbing as he collected his thoughts.

"Yeah?" she asked when the silence became a little uncomfortable. She didn't know what to say, what she should say to Sam. His memories of the time weren't exactly his own.

Sam nodded, looking off into the distance distractedly. "Yeah and… you know."

"Not really Sam, I don't. I mean, I know Dean didn't want to go back but… why did you go back?"

Sam cleared his throat. "Our old house, something was… there. And mom."

"Your mom?" Her eyes widened with astonishment and more than a little shock. That was an unexpected little factoid.

"Her spirit or whatever was. Looking after the people who lived there. And she saved us."

That certainly shone new light on both Dean and their mother's death. "Whoa," was all she could come up with.

"Yeah." Sam cleared his throat again, "So if Dean's acting weird… a lot happened."

Mae's lips quirked endeared a bit by the way both brothers stood up for each other. They were probably better together than apart. But that ghost of a smile fell when she thought of her role in his life. "I'm...This isn't normal weird between us. Dean and I… you know, I get how similar we are and that leads up to arguments alone, but this is different." With a huff and a raking of her hair, she continued. "I don't know. It's not like he and I have spent a lot of time together recently, but we never fought without a reason, at least one that made sense to us. This doesn't."

"Tell me about it."

"But you're okay, after going home and all?"

He shrugged. "I guess. As okay as okay gets."

"Do you want to get some ice cream after this?"

After doing a double take, he laughed. "Ice cream? We just had breakfast."

"Yeah, I know. But... we used to get ice cream when we were little all the time. It was nice."

"But we're not little." He said with a grin.

She did too now. "So not all of us can be giants but still, we're entitled to a little fun every now and then."

"You're not just saying that so you can hook up with a waitress, are you?"

Her eyebrow quirked, not entirely certain what the connection was. "Um, totally not."

* * *

Mae cut a rather elegant figure in her dark slacks and crisp white shirt. Elegant wasn't the right word for the woman. Perhaps determined or practiced, even as she told the rancher her line about being a reporter, finding the agents who had visited his farm earlier and being intrigued by the story. She had a way with the older, rough man; a mix of innocence, professionalism and honesty.

She took notes while Sam found himself mostly pushed off to the background. It was better Dean had not come because the woman was slick, charming and slightly flirty. The rancher, Mr. James Sutton, seemed taken with her. It might have been her almost folksy charm or just that approachable beauty Mae possessed. Either way, Sam knew he liked working with her because she made it easy and people liked her.

When she asked Sutton questions about the history of the land, it did not seem strange when she veered off into those select few that seemed odd coming from him. He didn't reveal a great deal of new information until she asked him about rumors of a coven. That was how Sam and Mae found themselves, several miles from the farm, in one of the most bizarre scenes they had encountered.


	10. Chapter 10

* * *

Her head cocked to the side, bordering on perplexed and amused. Sam mirrored Mae's look. "Well…" Sam came up short for words.

Neither Mae or Sam were often stunned by the things they saw, and the list of those things had grown quite long over the years. But this was odd. "Um… yeah."

Mae too found herself coming up short. This whole scene was picture perfect. The farmer had given them direction but wouldn't take them out to his mysterious sight. Under other conditions, they might have ignored the man's claims. The redhead was more skeptical about people crying witch. However, with so few leads, Mae drove her vintage mustang out to the site.

It was a lightly rolling field filled with tall and reaching grasses, weeds and she assumed a fair number of snakes, other vermin. She opted for her trusty boots, dress slacks tucked inside, rather than her demure dress shoes. Amid the green and yellow grasses, a grove of trees stood, the only identifiable landmark in the expanse of land. "You think that's the… thing?"

"Well Sam, we'd best hope it is because otherwise we're just chasing our tails here."

Without further debate, the pair made their way through the field until they found themselves standing dumbstruck in the grove. They stood there for several moments, exchanging stilted monosyllabic phrases. Mae raked a hand through her hair. "Hell."

"Bad witch. Looks like Dean was right."

Sighing, Mae took a step inside the grove of trees. From the road it looked like nothing, even as they got closer it didn't resemble what they found inside. It was a ritualistic altar if ever there was one. Shrouded by the trees and isolation, it would have been perfect for practicing witchcraft without being noticed. "This can't be real" She grumbled.

"It looks pretty real Mae."

"C'mon Sam, this is… too staged. It feels all wrong."

"Tell me about it. I'm pretty sure this is blood." Sam said as he crouched down by the large flat rock, conspicuously stained.

"That altar in the basement, that was _real_ witchcraft. This is… staged … you know this whole job just feels… off."

"Well, I'm not sure it's supposed to feel right."

"Sam this is just… I can't explain it. This doesn't fit."

"Doesn't it? I mean, this looks really… wicked."

"Yeah, and I'd buy that if there weren't so many indications that someone was trying to protect themselves, or someone else and they knew enough to know how to fight fire with fire."

Mae crouched next to him in by the altar stone. In addition to the staining, there was a heavy amount of black wax melted on the surface around the pentagram carved into the stone, presumably indicating which way was up.

"Look, I'm not saying that there isn't some serious bad mojo going on here… the spell, these trappings, this," She tapped on the pentagram, "It's so… it's like every old wives' tale has been used to create this scene. You know, like what comes to mind when you think of 'satanic'? It's all here."

"Why would someone go to all this effort when the likelihood that someone would see it was so slim?"

"It's like getting a lightning bolt waxed in your naughty bits."

Between the odd phrasing and her rather graphic analogy, Sam had to pause and shake his head. "Meaning?"

"You do it because someone will look at it."

"Then who wanted to show this off?"

Mae shook her head as she rose. "The girl maybe? Maybe someone trying to impress the girl? You know, we still don't know too much about her. We should ask her friends and find her family, if we can."

Her skeptical blue eyes swept the surrounding trees. They had been tagged and carved, like one might find in any teenage hang out. Except in addition to the standard hearts and initials were more or less typical Satanist images. But Mae was far from bestowing such a name on them.

This wasn't what it seemed. She didn't have the proof to back that up, it was a gut feeling. This was just too… perfect. Too cookie cutter. Sam took pictures of the stone, the trees and tried to capture the overall scene.

"You know, this isn't really a good setting for a coven. Sure, a small one but you'd think for something that's wreaking such broad-spectrum chaos...I just think you'd need more. And powerful ones at that. How many people could you get in the circle? Maybe 5 with some wiggle room? This is… private, out of the way."

"So, you think this is some… intimate gathering?"

"I'm just saying that this is definitely the sort of place some guy trying to play up to what he thought was my weird, witchy side, would take me and try to hook up."

"Hypothetically?"

"Sure." She said with a coy shrug, "I don't know. I can't say I've exactly been thinking straight this job. There's just as much leading us the other way. What do you see?"

"I can see your point. Maybe this is just a really creepy make out spot."

Mae laughed. "That would be an understatement. We should figure out who Wendy the witch was boinking."

Her fingers laced together behind her head and her lips pursed in thought as she circled the altar. It was all too perfect. The discordant presentation in the girl's bedroom seemed genuine compared to the picture-perfect altar out here in the middle of nowhere. The one in the basement was the outlier. The kids, the cow, the witch, the alters, the weather, her and Dean, all of it pointed towards something but her mind was scattered.

It had gotten worse suddenly and a dull but angry ache developed at her temples. When she opened her eyes, she didn't see the trees but a desert. It was gone after a second and she could have written it off as stress or something else if it felt that way. Mae pressed her fingers against her eyes and shook her head.

Then she saw the movement out of the corner of her eye, waited for the form of a person to come into shape before she drew her gun. Even as she drew the bead, the person vanished. Sam was by her side in a heartbeat, ready to take on whatever threat she saw. He had watched her after she grew silent, slightly concerned considering her odd behavior lately.

"Mae?" He was cautious as he placed his hand on her shoulder. It did the trick of snapping her back to reality.

"I saw… I thought I saw…"

"What?"

With a frustrated shake of her head, she put the safety back on before slipping the gun back in the waistband of her pants. She shook her head again. "I don't know. It was probably nothing. Stress, you know?"

"Yeah," he said with some concern, "maybe we should head back, check in with Dean."

Her gaze remained on the spot longer, waiting before she agreed and hesitantly followed Sam out of the circle of trees and through the field.

The dry grass swayed and crackled with their steps but both hunters noticed that there weren't many other sounds filling the air. Exchanging the glance filled with those concerns, they picked up the pace. "I don't get it, if this was just a show then why is all of this happening?" Sam said as they got back in Mae's car.

"Maybe I'm wrong, maybe we really are dealing with some uber witch-bitch, but I just don't think someone who got this powerful, would be this obvious. I think it's more likely that some amateur stumbled on to something very real and very dangerous."

"So… how do we stop this?"

"We have to find the original spell and… there has to be someone else., a community or something. I mean, there are three distinctly different altars or magical areas. This last one… doesn't jibe." She tapped on the steering wheel with two fingers. "It doesn't sit right Sam."


	11. Chapter 11

* * *

Dean had read enough pilfered medical files to invest heavily in birth control methods. Reluctant to start going door to door solo, he spent a fair amount of time hoping Mae or his brother would just call, and he wouldn't have to talk to these women by himself.

After going through their files and flirting with the nurse, he couldn't say for certain that this had anything to do with the case. It could have just been a string of unfortunate events. An uptick in statistics. Maybe it meant something, maybe it didn't. The only certain and interesting thing he found out was the missing teens had all come home. It was another thread for this investigation that they needed fewer leads. They needed something solid to go after. However, it seemed like everything had stopped. Except for the fighting. That was ongoing, and he didn't have a solution.

Gruesome he could deal with, however each and every one of these cases were just sad. Next time, Dean reminded himself, he would deal with the crazy witches and Sam could have all the grieving women. And his mind tracked back to Mae. He knew it shouldn't, she was… a fly in the ointment, a onetime thing. Right? Right! Mae was a girl who he thought he loved once, when they were kids, when he didn't know better, when he didn't know, when he didn't have anyone else. It was a relationship of convenience that… that went too far, he decided.

No, he was certain that it was more than that, even then. Perhaps now. After scrubbing a hand over his face, he glanced down at his watch. Sam and Mae were taking their sweet ass time, he thought. Had they missed that much the first time around? No, he didn't think so. But he didn't call either of them. Dean had no interest in starting up a fight and felt the inevitable dread that came with that. It was like being possessed.

His eyebrow quirked at that thought. Maybe, he reasoned, there was a possession taking place. Perhaps even a big one. It didn't irk him this time that Mae was probably right. At least the notion of a demon would give them a starting out place. Only, at the same time, it didn't seem like a demon entirely. Although if that wasn't the case, he was out of guesses on what was terrorizing the city.

Taking out his phone, he hesitated again. It would be easy to call Sam but for some reason, knowing he was with Mae made him falter. His blunt fingers drummed on the scared table in the room he had returned too. He didn't like hospitals in the first place, and he did have the magic fingers. As he smirked to himself, he was startled a bit by the ringing of his phone.

To his great relief it wasn't Mae, but his brother sounded worried. "We found something."

Frowning, Dean wished he had found something more useful. "That sounds ominous." He replied lightly.

Sam remained silent, unsure of how to relate the scene they had just left. "We're heading back to town now. We should be at the motel soon… with the way Mae drives."

Dean heard a slightly muffed 'don't be a baby' from the woman and despite his confusing feelings, he laughed. "Yeah well, get back here because I need something to eat."

Sam had texted him when they were close to town and Dean let him know where to meet him. He wanted a few minutes to himself to have a cup of coffee before the tension with Mae scaled back up. There was a small scattering of patrons. He pegged them as the sort who came in the same time, every day for whatever the greasy spoon claimed was famous. He surveyed the diner with well-traveled eyes as he was seated in a booth. He was idly flirtatious with the waitress as he ordered coffee and let her know there would be two more joining him. She was pleasant enough and maybe he'd get her number, just in case he needed a release later on. It was a relief to be sitting here. He was reminded about days not too long ago, waiting for his Dad or more often than not sitting alone, waiting for the chance to find any willing company.

The door swung open. When Mae and Sam walked in, like a sort of karmic cold shower. Shrugging it off, Dean felt the pride that both of them walked in like hunters, scanning the establishment for more than just him. Recognition came with only a slight acknowledgment. Sam leaned down to say something to her, she nodded. They both made their way back to his booth. The redhead took a seat across from him next to him, letting Sam take the seat beside her. It was almost amusing when Sam pulled out his laptop and Mae took out some of the documents she had gathered from their respective bags. With a shake of his head he laughed a little to himself. Then it felt different, for Dean at any rate. He wasn't sure what the change was, but he knew.

The way Mae straightened made him think she felt it too. Her sharp gray eyes scanned again, trying to pinpoint the source of the newfound discomfort. A spirited flash annoyance and anger gathered in those pretty orbs as they moved around the room and finally to him. Their gaze met and despite the return of what he could only deem as a mix of rage and something new, he saw that her eyes reflected the same concern. If things were different, he would have classified it as lust. But that couldn't be accurate.

He could feel everything slow, the seconds ticking by with the beating of his heart. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. It was only a few seconds or so before she broke contact. What the hell, he thought. "You found something" He said, clearing his throat and taking a sip of coffee.

Blinking the emotions away she gathered her thoughts. However, Sam interjected, oblivious to the small exchange between them. "We found an altar."

"Another one?" Dean asked, eyebrow raised but skeptical.

"No." Mae added, "I mean, yes as third one but...not a real one. It was staged."

"You don't know that." Sam's tone was less adamant this time, suspecting that she was right.

"Gimme something better then Sam. Put that college education to use." She raised the challenge to Sam before turning back to Dean. "I think it's staged. Sammy thinks it's...something else."

The younger man frowned at her short tone but to himself admitted she was right. There wasn't a better answer, not yet any way.

Dean watched the odd pair a moment, maybe they were having the same problem he was having with her. But it wasn't really anything he was interested in right then. "For us?"

She shook her head. "I doubt it. Looked like it had been there a while. Besides, who are we? And it was secret enough that you had to go looking for it. I would say it was someone just playing a part."

Mae and Sam told him exactly what they had found out near the farmer's house. He hated to admit that they might need Mae; for all her faults, she was damn good at the job.

Sighing, she scooped her hands through the untidy mass of red hair. Her gaze fell on him again, that spark of emotion slid into her previously professional demeanor as she looked at him. After a tightening of her jaw she asked him, "What did you dig up?"

"Not much that seems useful."

"It means something."

"Yeah well, nothing we didn't know. If that altar were real, maybe we could call witchcraft on this one."

"Oh, c'mon Dean, human sacrifice? Like that?"

"It's what witches do."

Her mouth pulled into a half frown before she spoke. "To animals, maybe… a person once in a blue moon but...this?"

"Hey, they're not exactly reading them bedtime stories. Since when are you on their side?"

"I'm not but I'm telling you, in that house, it was for protection. I would go as far as saying a white witch. Upstairs, that was angry, violent, and evil. Those weren't anything like out in the woods and that was so… it looked like one of those creepy hell houses, you know scare you into Jesus style."

"What are you saying Mae?" Sam asked.

"I think it looked like something I don't know. We have too much on our plate. We need to look at it differently."

Mae grew silent as she looked over the pictures and notes she had made. Her mind however drifted to thought of Dean, thoughts she didn't want to have and ones that had no rightful place in her mind.

Sam looked up from his computer screen, epiphany on his handsome face. "What if it's only part way fake?"

"Like half a boob job?"

They paused their conversation as the waitress brought them coffees and water. Mae hid the laugh at Dean's comparison but then she caught on to what Sam was suggesting. "Yeah, I could see spell gone wrong at one of the dark altars."

"Wrong would be an understatement." Sam added, "But it makes sense. Maybe we can find some sort of Sumerian spell that brings all this together."

"How the hell does someone get an ancient Sumerian spell in southern Idaho?" Mae asked.

Sam shrugged. "That seems like the easy part to find out."

For a moment, a frown took up residence on Dean's lips. He didn't like feeling like the third wheel. He wasn't stupid by any measure, but Mae and Sam seemed to function a bit differently. But Mae's snide statement didn't add anything to their conversation. "Oh, that sounds totally easy."

Grinning, Dean clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder as he stood to go to the restroom. "Ah, you're forgetting how much Sammy loves research."

 


	12. Chapter 12

* * *

 

Offering up a tight-lipped smile, Mae gave a fake but silent toast with her coffee mug towards Sam as she leaned back. Half surprised she didn't either leave the table when his brother did or demand that they put their noses to the grindstone, a small and genuine smile graced his lips as he mirrored her position. It wasn't exactly relaxing, he could see that she was still tightly wound. Like Dean, she could shuffle most of that off the surface.

Still her eyes were sharply observing the dinner, habit rather than function. She had cast a glance over her shoulder to watch Dean make his way to the bathroom, only to watch him stop and flirt with the waitress. Still, Sam watched her as her eyes landed on his brother. He searched for any sign of emotion; good, bad or indifferent. He wasn't sure what he found there. Her expression was rather nebulous; there was something a bit disturbing about it. She didn't give much away but he saw a sharp irritation, followed by a wistful softening and then what he wanted to call sadness. Then she went blank, blinked and took her eyes off Dean.

It had been years since he had spent any significant amount of time with the woman. He hadn't forgotten about her, but he had tried to remember that even the few people they had been close to never stuck around very long. He tried to think about the what he remembered and being honest with himself, there wasn't a lot. She stuck mostly with his brother when they were around, but she had always been kind. She would give him books to read and unlike his brother didn't tease him about his more scholarly endeavors.

Like she had mentioned before, she would take him out for ice cream when they were in the same town. She was always kind. She was one of the few women that they had ever spent time around. She'd been family. But she'd also been a hunter and certainly more similar to Dean than him. She had wanted to be out there, to know as much as she possibly could about hunting.

For a few moments he thought that perhaps he could go back to the motel to work but he found that he liked working with her. Sam didn't mind these sorts of places as much having someone else who was focused more on hunter, rather than trying to eat the greasiest thing they could find or trying to hook up with the waitresses. Sam found himself watching her for some reason.

He knew he had better things to do. Mae and Dean had more than their fair share of issues, but they hadn't totally forgotten about each other. He wasn't exactly sure what his brother was looking for with her. If he just wanted to hook up, surely, they could have gotten that out of the way by now. Was he interested in some sort of relationship? That might be awkward once they found dad, but Sam thought it could be good for his brother to actually date someone. Maybe he'd even try to have some kind of normal life if he knew that it could be nice.

If they could actually get the point where they got along, it could work. There was nothing worse than their pointless fighting. Well, he though, perhaps worse was their awkward getting along. It walked a fine line between friendship and lust. It was an odd, mostly uncomfortable scene for Sam to watch as he looked back at his brother. He could have smacked Dean, the way he was carrying on with the waitress. It was what his brother did, but Sam had hoped his brother had some modicum of respect for their situation. Or maybe it didn't matter to Dean, maybe Mae was just another notch his belt and if she wasn't going to sleep with him, maybe he was just dead set on finding someone else. It was hard to tell with his older brother sometimes.

The redhead noticed but for once she didn't react. Her face was just as passive as she turned her gaze to her half-finished coffee. Sam couldn't tell if that was real or an act. If she really did care, she did a hell of job covering it up.

"You're okay with that?"

There was no point in feigning confusion. Her eyebrow arched softly. "It's not like he and I have some sort of...relationship. He's not... he's a free man and if he wants to bang some chick whose income is largely dependent on tips, then fine. Let him scratch his itch."

Believing her would have been easier if he hadn't seen all of their little signs and glances that spoke volumes about the unspoken connection they had. "Yeah, I'm sure he will after that."

For some reason she laughed.

"It really doesn't bother you?"

"Sam, I didn't join a convent after Dean. I get around too. And we are… just... people who know each other at this point. I mean, I don't even know what you think Dean and I are supposed to be to each other." That part was true, but she felt compelled to finish with a lie. "I don't feel that way about Dean anymore."

"You two just seem so… perfect."

Mae's eyebrow rose again, this time accompanied by a quirky smile. "Make a note, you just used the word 'perfect' to describe not only me but your brother."

"I mean together."

"Really? Because since we've seen each other again, all he and I do is call each other names, say hurtful things, and get in fights. I mean, do you even remember what it was like when me and your brother dated?"

He wasn't aware that they had been so serious, not as serious as either of them seemed to cast it then. He knew he's seen them hold hands and maybe kiss. But, in retrospect, he would have thought it was just puppy love. He wouldn't have assumed they'd been together for the better part of two years. But then he was 11 when they started dating so it made sense that he didn't really realize what his brother and Mae were doing. He did remember that Dean was happy, more or less and Mae seemed to be too. "Well, sort of."

"Well, I don't think we can recapture even the best of that. At the end of the day, your brother and I are both better off not letting what happened in the past screw up whatever we we're doing now."

"You still have feeling for him?"

She scoffed, leaning forward with a menacing stare. " I didn't say that. But I do trust him, and I feel bad about how I handled everything before. I'm...in a different place than I was then. What, are you trying to set us up?"

"No, I've just seen too many movies where the guy and the girl don't get along because they're really in love with each other and… I don't wanna get caught in the motel room if that happens."

She smiled again, a soft laugh in the back of her throat. "Sammy, I don't think your brother can ever see me light that again. I'm pretty sure I'm... damaged goods in his eyes now. But I promise if I get the notion to bang some dude, I'll do it far away from your virgin eyes."

"My virgin ears too please."

The laugh deepened and she stuck out a hand. "Deal. So, let me ask you something: Why don't you seem to be interested in meeting someone?

"Uh it's," he checked his watch for dramatic effect, "12:36 in a diner in Idaho where the only women other than you are either old or hitting on my brother. Are you interested in anyone here?"

"That guy in the questionably stained overalls is kinda hot." She joked. "Listen, I don't mean here. There are lots of pretty girls out there and you're a good-looking guy…"

"Mae… it's too soon. I… I love Jess, loved Jess. I can't just… I'm not like Dean."

"Yeah I know. I get that. Except you end up sitting here with your adorable kicked puppy eyes while he speed humps his way through bar skanks."

"Uh… yeah I don't think it's the same thing."

"Not the same thing, but similar. He's trying not to get connected to anyone too." Sam raised an eyebrow, realizing that he shouldn't be surprised that she understood his brother in a way he wouldn't.

"I suppose."

"You two are more alike than you think."

Sam scoffed. "I'm sure you do."

Mae just laughed. If things were like this, just about hunting, she would have no problem picking up and working with the boys until they found their dad. It was nice not doing it alone.

"What are you two giggling about?" Dean asked, reappearing at the table side.

Mae smirked, "We're Rochambeauing to see who gets to hit on Farmer Brown over there. You want in?"

"You two are weird. Just real weird."

The pair shrugged in unison and suddenly he regretted inviting her for an entirely different reason. Mae and his brother actually got along well and could easily team up against him when it came to decision making. She threw off the balance of power, turning it against him. He wasn't certain if like his odds. Would she let her animosity towards him get in the way?

"I don't think the two of you are sleeping together."

Both Mae and Dean frowned at the statement. "Yeah dude, you're the only one sleeping with your brother."

Sam shot the confused frown at Mae now even as she gave Dean a half smile. "Yes, haha, Red. No, I mean, I'm not..." He wasn't going to say jealous, "I just think you're weird but more importantly, I'm not...I'm not reacting to you to being weird together or even sitting together. You're just weird."

"You know, maybe you're the weird one," Sam added.

"Oh, he is but actually on to something. I don't wanna... I'm irrationally pissed off at you."

"Just the normal amount?" Dean teased.

"Yeah, I mean, I almost find you funny. You're not but-"

"Okay, okay. So, what's different?

All three were lost in quiet thought as they inventoried what the differences between all the times, they had outburst and now as their food arrived. None of them touched it yet.

"We're... I don't know, not at the motel."

"You guys fought at the house." Sam noted.

"Okay well he had been an ass."

"Yeah. And that doesn't take into account the fight that broke out at the Sheriff's station."

"Wait, what fight?"

Dean broke into the conversation Mae and Sam seemed to be having by themselves. "Yeah to officers just started some knock down drag out thing, over a woman...or at the idea that one of them was cheating with the others' wife."

"So, it's not just us."

"It seems that way, probably. They could have having an honest to God fight over one of them sleeping with someone they shouldn't. It wouldn't be the first time that sort of thing has happened."

Mae wondered if Dean's comment was meant to test the waters of their new suspension of hostilities. Surely, if they were still in their attack mode, that would have set her off. But she had a clear enough mind to not take the bait. "It was on my list to go back a month or two, looking at police reports that detailed, you know, weird violence."

"And in this town..." Sam trailed off, thinking of the reports he'd been scanning for anything that might be tied to the occult.

"It's a task, yeah. But...if there's any significance...we need to look."

"I know but still."

"Divide and concur."

Mae's phone rang and Dean was amazed that her face could remain so neutral because she excused herself to take it and he figured with things going well, she might take a call relating to the case at the table. But she didn't. He tried not to let it get to him. It could have been anything and letting jealousy or suspicion creep up on him wouldn't help any of them.

She stepped outside the diner. She recognized the sheriff's number and didn't want to do anything that might set Dean off. He might not have said anything, but she knew he was jealous. He shouldn't have been, but it was pretty clear. Dean thought something more was going on than could ever be. It could have been the whatever the spell, or whatever it was, messing with their minds or it could have been Dean's genuine misunderstanding of what she really did like about the Sheriff. It was true, Dean might have picked up on something between them, but it wasn't what he thought.

"Ms. Norton?"

"Sheriff Brand, you know, you can call me Mae. I'd be perfectly happy with that."

"Well, as long as we're on a first name basis, call me Tony."

"Fair enough. So, Tony, I assume you're not calling me for business purposes."

"Yes and no. I'm afraid I'll have to cancel on you tonight. And I really am sorry, especially if you plan on heading back to the big city."

Her eyes shifted back to the diner for an instance. Mae was surprised that she was disappointed. She chalked it up to her unpredictable reactions, even though she knew it was really about this odd connection to the past that the Brand held for her. He had a connection to a life that seemed so far off. "No, I'm in town for a few more days. We can try for another night, no problem."

"Alright. I hope things work out. I'd really like...well I guess I can't exactly catch up with Dan but... I'm sorry, I-"

"It's okay, I understand what you mean. I'm looking forward to it too."

"Good, good."

* * *

Mae didn't say anything about the phone call. The boys didn't ask. Dean looked like he was itching to find out what it was about or even who was on the other end of the line. Mae clearly had plenty of other contacts and information. He knew that call could have been one of them. Maybe it was Caleb or even Bobby. It wasn't rational to assume something was up.

They did however decide that they needed to go through crime reports again and try to chase down any potential case that could be tied to this spell or witches or anything else. Mae, Sam, and Dean split up the list as best they could. While Mae and Dean hadn't started fighting again, they didn't want to risk it. Neither said it as bluntly as that but as neither insisted or suggested doing the work together, they went to their separate rooms to get to work.


	13. Chapter 13

* * *

They had spent the better part of the day reading reports until all of them felt a bit bogged down in the details. There were a significant number of potential incidences that could fit their profile of potentially spell influenced violence. However, they found by and large, if the information wasn't in the police report, none of the people involved wanted to disclose more, particularly not to any of them. It wasn't a completely useless endeavor, but it was not a gold mine of facts or leads or a solution to this case.

Mae set her laptop to the side and leaned back on the bed, draping her arm over her eyes. Night three and how much further were they. They knew they were dealing with a witch, a spell or possibly more than one, and more than a few other supernatural events that could be attributed to any number spirits, creatures, or even spells. It was all too much to accurately pin down. To narrow it down, they needed to know where to start and there wasn't a clear-cut place.

She jumped a bit at the sudden knock at the adjoining door. Slightly perplexed, she got up to answer the door. "Hey Mae, wanna get outta here?"

"What?"

"My brother is a stick in the mud and wants to keep up this mind-numbing search."

"You do know this is the boring part of hunting, right?"

Dean sighed. "I just need some time away from...this."

"Are you sure?"

"That I need a beer? Yeah."

"You could...go get a six pack or something."

"See," Sam called from their room, "What did I tell you?"

Passing a glance between his brother and then Mae, Dean's frown deepened." "I don't really care what you two do but I need a break."

"Dean, do you really think that's appropriate?" Sam asked in that chiding way of his.

"Appropriate," he mocked, "I don't...what else can we do tonight? Realistically, what can we do?" Sam was quite while he tried to come up with something that wasn't more of the same. "Red, you got anything?"

She too thought they were at a dead end or at least needed some time thinking about something else. However, going anywhere with Dean alone. That was a recipe for disaster. Even going with Sam... she had no idea what would happen. But maybe, they had found their rhythm at last. They'd managed to eat a meal together with no blowups. "No, nothing new. Maybe taking a break would be good."

"Thank you! I saw this one place, Texas Playboys... think about it Sammy, girls in bunny costumes and cowboy hats."

"That's their thing?"

"I'm sure. And Mae...I'm assuming they have something for you."

She had a mischievous smirk. "Oh, I'm sure."

* * *

It did indeed have something for Mae, although it wasn't anything like Dean had in mind. There were no bunny costumes but there were a fair share of cowboy hands and square dancing. At least Dean thought it was square dancing.

"Perfect call Dean. This place is perfect."

"At least they have beer." Dean grumbled, moving towards the bar to order, while Mae and Sam grabbed a table.

Sam had been reluctant to join the pair and truly only did so to help avert some kind of worsening fight. It would not do any of them any good for either hunter to end up arrested for creating a public disturbance. He was glad to take a break, but this felt like navigating a field of landmines. "You gotta admit, this _is_ a weird place."

"Yeah, well I think once we put an end to this spell, it'll be better."

"Sure, but I meant the bar. It's very...honky-tonk."

"Technically, western swing. But uh, kinda makes sense."

Sam only gave her a confused look.

Mae grinned, thinking he was joking at first "...you know, it's called Texas Playboys. The band is playing a Bob Willis song right now. I mean, I'm sure what you'd expect."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

It seemed like there wasn't much to talk about, outside of hunting or respective traumas, it turned out. "You really don't get out, do you?"

"Not to a lot of...western swing bars, I guess. You don't strike me as the sort."

"I'm not saying I am, exactly. Although, you can trace the roots of musical styles like rockabilly and rock and roll."

Sam looked over to see what was keeping Dean and of course, he was delayed at the bar with some woman. Sam wasn't sure what his brother's end game with Mae was but if he were interested in her as more than friends, he was going about it all wrong. "Why is this something in your head?"

Mae shrugged. "Maybe I just let myself have a little fun, every now and then."

"I, uh...I'm not sure that...that I can do that."

"I'm not asking you to be our morale officer. I just-"

"I don't know what you think I'm supposed to be doing but...Jess just died and..."

"Sam, believe me, I know exactly what you're going through." her tone was soft and earnest, "I do. And... here's some free advice, take it or leave it, but you'll never get close to feeling normal again if you don't do things that normal people do. And if you only think about killing whatever... well, that's what you become."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I-I'm just, I guess trying to spare you some of the pain. But you know, you're an adult. Do whatever you want."

Sam wasn't entirely sure what she was trying to goad him into doing, if she really was, or what exactly had happened to her because guessing from the little tidbit she'd just shared, it wasn't just the falling out with his family that had her hunting again. That could be very interesting. But now wasn't really the time to ask her. Instead

"Okay so...what's something fun I can do?"

"Well..." she looked around, "We could dance."

"Mae, I uh… no thanks I'm not… I like you and I like hanging out with you-"

"Oh Jesus, get your mind out of… wherever it is. I'm not hitting on you Sammy. Believe me, I now have a strict 'no sex with Winchesters' rule. It's gotten me nowhere good. I just wanna dance and if I go out there alone all the lonely losers will be on me like… well like lonely losers on an unattached chick. So, for 5 minutes you can at least pretend to have fun for the sake of my honor… and if I remain unhit on, I won't start a bar fight you'll inevitably get pulled into."

"Wow Mavis, you drive an oddly compelling bargain, but I have one condition."

"Shoot."

"Don't call me Sammy."

She offered up a quirky half smile. "Don't call me Mavis."

"Okay, you know I don't know how to do this."

"I do. Don't worry, I'll make you look like you were born dancing. So just keep four things in mind; keep your chest out, never fully extend your arm on a spin out, take small steps, and just keep your hand at like my first knuckle."

"That's what I need to keep in mind? I don't see how that will help."

"Just follow my lead."

* * *

Dean watched as his brother stood. It was hard to miss a guy that tall. Not that he was keeping an eye on his brother. He was safe with Mae. Only he didn't walk away from the table. He turned and extended a hand to the willowy redhead. Her pale hand fell into his grasp. Dean felt tightness in his chest that he had felt one too many times around Mae.

It was like a sucker punch straight to the stomach. Mae pulled his brother onto the dance floor. His rational side told him he had resolved things with Mae. And there was nothing to this. Just... his brother and his girl dancing. Kind of. He was the one who said they needed to blow steam. The thing she'd had with his Dad was in the past and he couldn't continue to let it fester or color what was happening now. She hadn't been in full control. Although the same thing could be said of now.

Surely, history couldn't be repeating itself. No, even Mae couldn't be that unkind or that unaware of something going on. But then she was there with his brother and the jealousy he didn't want to admit he was experiencing reared its head. He was up before he realized it, startling the girl he'd been chatting up… Lauren or Laura… Linda maybe? It didn't matter. He only made a quick detour to the table to drop off the beers. because his stride was swift and powerful, and it was only a matter of seconds before he was beside the pair.

He yanked Mae's arm back wedging himself between Mae and Sam. Giving his brother a none too gentle push, he stared her down, tossing his brother a gruff order. "You, go sit down." Dean's eyes grew dark, fingers still tight on her arm. "You an' me need to have a talk."

There was no room for protest from either of them and if they had, there wouldn't have been much said. Dean yanked her arm harder, hard enough to elicit a squeak and a stumble from her usually practiced demeanor. He pulled her across the dance floor and out the front door, not caring if she could really keep up.

He pulled her around the corner, shoving her against the wall. "What the hell are you doing?" He growled after they were out of sight a bit.

"Right now? I'm trying to remind myself why I'm not kickin' your ass."

He would have laughed because in almost any other situation, he would have had the upper hand, but he knew that Mae could easily gain control. "No. In there with Sammy."

Their attention was diverted from whatever she was going to say by the loud clearing of a throat. "Ma'am, this guy giving you trouble." A strange but concerned passerby asked her.

Her eyes shifted over to him, wondering for a moment if she could pass off her problem at the moment but even though the other man didn't look like a push over, she was pretty sure Dean would lay him out and he didn't deserve that for trying to help keep a woman safe.

"No, sir. Everything is fine. He just found out I tried to steal his man." They got a strange look at that, but Dean did let his grip on her shoulders ease up. "Keep moving," Mae said.

"Funny." Dean ground out when they were alone again.

The roll of her eyes stayed hidden behind her scowl. "We were dancing."

He pushed her again. "Exactly."

"I'm sorry is this the town from Footloose?"

"You weren't trying to dance with him." He jabbed a finger into her shoulder harder than he intended. "You were trying to seduce him. Earn yourself the trifecta, huh?"

"Seduce-" She scoffed, "Whoa. You're way outta line. You might want to take two minutes to think this through." She shifted closer, there wasn't enough room to take a step forward, but she eased her back up from the wall and stood chest to chest with Dean. His hands around her wrists tightened a bit, just slightly painful. Mae was not one to step down from a challenge. And Dean was very wrong about his assumptions. He'd been jealous of anything with a y chromosome that came near here and it was getting out of hand.

"If you can't trust me, then trust your brother. He's not interested in a fling in general and certainly not with me. He's getting over his girlfriend's death. He's not looking for a quick fuck. We were dancing Dean, just dancing. Like… for fun."

She was tired of explaining herself to him. Of all people to have a hang up about who she slept with, Dean didn't have a leg to stand on. She jutted a finger of her free hand into his chest. "And you know what? So, what if your brother and I are screwing? It's none of your business. Dude… you can't just fly off the handle like that. You don't get to act like I'm not allowed to be in charge of my own sex life."

Was the woman crazy, crazier than usual? Did she think that she could ignore everything? "He's my brother."

"I know that! I don't want your brother! I just want to have something… not screwed up, for five minutes okay? I've got no ulterior motives. Do you think I'm a complete fucking moron? Do you think I-The last thing I want to do is get any more involved with you Winchesters than I already am."

Mae turned her wrists, despite the hold Dean had on them, he released her hands. He braced for a blow, but she only ran a hand through her hair. Her jaw tightened before relaxing as she turned her head away from him. "Dean, if you still think that I'm out to hurt you than just… fine. I can't change your mind. I'm going back to my room."

Dean couldn't tell if it was him or her, but he felt out of control. He wasn't angry, not really, he was fueled by another passion. His balled up his fists and pressed them against the wall next to her head as he trapped her between his arms this time. Keeping his breath even was difficult around her. His head and chest were on fire. With the one hand he reached up to stroke her cheek but let it fall limply to the side, catching only a few strands on russet hair in his calloused fingers. He caught the scent of her shampoo. This woman had him all wound up in ways that he didn't understand, ways that he didn't react to women.

He leaned in dangerously close to her. She was intoxicating. Hell, he thought, she was more appealing than any woman he could have met in that bar. "I want to kiss you so bad." He whispered, letting his lips brush against hers as he spoke.

Dean wasn't alone, not entirely. She wasn't in the mood, at all. But she did feel that same pull, that same need that seemed to course through him too. Neither knew why he said it, even if he had been feeling it. It really wasn't the thing to do and it didn't feel right. It felt as foreign an impulse as the one to fight him on everything. "No."

"I do. It's… I can't help it."

"Try." She replied as her now balled fist slammed into his stomach with equal force and control.

Dean doubled over and she passed around him with the ease of a feather caught in an updraft. It didn't lessen his desire, but it did distract him enough. He didn't need the rolling ache in his stomach to tell him exactly how foolish his feelings for her were or that it was doubly foolish to tell her. None of that changed his lust or his disdain for it. Deep down, he knew his need for the woman was not reasonable. Leaning against the wall, Dean watched her walk away, watched her walk across the street to the motel they were all staying at and watched her disappear into her room. He wasn't wrong on this one.

Dean ran his hand over his face. What the hell was wrong with him? Mae had never affected him like this before, no woman had. Sure, the redhead pushed buttons no one else could but he didn't lose his cool like this. And he never felt that need to have a woman without getting so much as a single sign that the feeling was mutual. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. Why couldn't things just be easy?

The man could count on one hand the people who mattered to him and even that count could be reduced to none if he included the ones who had left him at one point or another. But now he had Sam back, they would find Dad and Mae? He was beginning to think that she was something he could never get back. She would never look at him the same way she used to, she would never let him know what he meant to her again.

* * *

The man could be such an ass, she thought. Slamming the door shut did little to alleviate the madness swirling in her mind. She let her hands plow through her fiery hair with frustration. Things were not supposed to be this way. She knew that things were not likely to ever be totally normal between them again. The worst part was that he didn't seem to trust her at all. She thought, she'd hoped, they could move past that. Hell, it wasn't likely that they would be genuine friends again, if this job were any indication.

What was this? She was beginning to doubt herself. There was something about the scene in the bar that scared her more than the past fights. She could handle the intensity of the anger, knowing that one some level a physical fight would have been fair. But she saw something else in his eye, something that scared her more. She felt something else too but wasn't entirely certain what exactly it was. It wasn't the same heat of fighting.

Taking a seat on the edge of her bed, she put her head in her hands. This was harder than any regular hunt. It was too hard to completely write the man off. Dean was… well, he was a lot of things she didn't want to admit to herself, let alone anyone else. She had lingering feelings for him, perhaps she always would. He wasn't just her first love, he was the first person she had really trusted, with everything. But then everything changed. It had never mattered with anyone else. When she tried to keep him at a distance, he kept pushing at her. When he tried to distance himself, she felt pulled to not give it to him.

* * *

Sam was getting worried. It wasn't exactly clear who would win in a show down between Mae and Dean. He outweighed her and if he could pin her, it was entirely possible he could keep the upper hand and while he had no qualms about hitting a girl, Mae would hit back, and she wouldn't hold back. They had been trained to fight by the same people and she did her best to compensate for weight and height. Only a fool would think that they had an advantage over her just because she was a woman. Dean wasn't that fool. Although if he thought there was anything going on between him and Mae, it was further proof that he wasn't on top of his game.

The younger man was trying to wager if it were safer to stay out of this one or go to Mae's rescue… or Dean's, his brother came slinking back in. And slinking was the right word. He avoided the women between him and the bar. Sam watched his brother order what turned out to be a double whiskey before he made his way back to the table. Half the high ball was gone by the time he pulled the chair out and sat down.

Sam waited, waited for his brother to explain himself, or say anything but the man just sat there, gazing at nothing in particular. "What is your problem man?"

Dean still didn't turn his eyes from the indefinite target he had picked to stare at when he answered. "I don't have a problem."

"Uh yeah you do. You went more than a little nuts there because Mae and I were going to dance together? Aren't you the one who said I should have more fun?"

Dean gave a skeptical laugh. "There are thousands of girls out there you could be having fun with before Mae."

"You really think that's the kind of fun I want with her, or anyone, right now?"

His big brother looked down at his drink. "She has a way with… men."

"She doesn't with me. For the record Dean, she was not hitting on me, not even remotely. If you hadn't been so busy trying to get laid, you would have seen that. She was trying to cheer me up."

"And sex is a great pick me up."

Disgust creased Sam's face. "Uh, I'm not going to… do anything with Mae because she's my friend _and_ she's slept with you and dad. I really don't want to sleep with a woman you've already been with. And more importantly I know it would bother you. You're my brother."

Frowning, Dean knew he was overreacting, at least to the prospect of Sam crossing that line. It begged the question of why their Dad did. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he took a deep breath. "I guess I was…"

"Crazy?"

"It's something about Mae."

"Yeah I noticed. This job might have something to do with it too. What exactly is going on with you two? I thought you had a truce, that you had forgiven each other."

"I thought so too but all of the sudden she's here and we're… I've fought with her before, this is something different entirely."

"How?"

"It's not about anything. It's not even a fight. It's… they say there's a thin line between anger and..."

"Wait, you're saying this is all leading up to… hate sex?" Sam hated having to say that, having to think about Mae and his brother like that.

But Dean shook his head. "No. But it easily could have. I'm not sure I would have stopped."

"You would have... even if she said no?"

"I-I don't want to think that. She did say no, she stopped whatever was going to happened, but this feeling came over me, man. I just...as much as I wanted to fight with her before, it was coming up the other way with her this time."

"Where is she now?"

"She went back to her room. I think I pushed her too far."

"Mae has a pretty short fuse, it can't be difficult to push her."

"Well… I did. She hit me."

Sam smirked before commonsense kicked in and he hid it. "Pretty sure that's not new either."

"I deserved it."

With a more concealed smile this time, Sam cleared his throat. "You know, I've talked to her too and she's not exactly sure what's going on between the two of you either."

"That's not going to change anything, it won't stop until we figure out this case."

"You think it's tied to the case too?"

"Mae and me have had our problems but never like this. And you know, we have always been able to find a way to work it out."

"You argued a lot last time. Maybe that's just what you two do now."

Dean frowned, not because Sam was wrong but because he wasn't sure his brother wasn't right.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

* * *

The wind set the grass off in gentle waves around her bare feet. The sun was warm and comforting, almost peaceful. A smile touched her lips as she tilted her face upwards. Closing her eyes, she took a breath of the sweet, fresh air. Rarely did she get to enjoy a calm day out in the world. A set of hand grabbed her around the waist but for some reason she didn't panic at the touch. She was surprisingly calm, relaxing into the arms that held her now. The wind caused her yellow sundress to flutter around her long legs as those teasing hands spread over her stomach.

His lips brushed over her ear, stubble scratching and tickling her enticingly. "You just gonna stand there daydreaming?"

"It's perfect day dreaming weather."

"You know I think this weather is perfect for something else entirely." Laughing, his lips trailed down her neck before dropping to her shoulder.

"You have a one-track mind sometimes."

"All the time. But then you're a bad influence on me."

He turned her in his arms before pressing a soft kiss to her mouth. His hands tightened around her waist and she looped her arms around his neck. It was strange, she didn't feel quite right but at the same time, there was nothing more that she wanted than to be in his arms. His name was a soft whisper against his lips.

"What are we doing here?"

He chuckled as they began to walk slowly, hand in hand. "Do I have to explain everything to you sweetheart?"

"No. I just… I'm not exactly sure how we got here."

"You need to relax Mae."

"I'm pretty sure we're not supposed to be here."

"Why do you want to fight?"

"I don't but don't you feel it?"

"Then," he said, pulling her around in front of him, "stop."

His green eyes made her stomach flip and she tried to keep her heart rate under control. Grinning he offered her a quirked brow, waiting for her to make the next move. She cupped his cheek then stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. Her fingers slid along his neck, into his hair and along his scalp.

"See? That wasn't so bad now was it, angel?"" Her fingers traced around his ear as she laughed.

"No, it wasn't. But..."

Those eyes were light but passionate as he kissed her again. She didn't avoid it or fight him, she kissed him back this time. However, when she pulled away, he was gone. She wasn't in the light summery dress any longer she noted as the air grew distinctly more chilled. The sky darkened as she found herself in that grove of trees she and Sam had found.

This felt more familiar, not more desirable by a long shot, but she could believe this more. "Dean?" She called out but receiving no response she began to inspect. "What the hell?" she muttered.

Just like earlier, she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. This time the figure didn't disappear but that didn't make her feel like it was less of a hallucination. The figure turned out to be an older woman in flowing robes with long silver hair. "Great, what is this, Lord of the Rings? I swear I'll club the first hobbit I see."

"You can stop this."

"Stop what?"

"This is your fate."

"Meaning what exactly? Wait why am I talking to you?"

"You're powerful enough to break the spell if you focus."

"Focus? On what exactly? I don't exactly trust random strangers who show up outta nowhere."

"You can trust us."

Before Mae could ask anything more, she woke up. It was just a stupid dream. Her pulse wasn't wild, but it was slightly elevated. She wasn't panicked but she was confused, perhaps even disturbed by the dream. It didn't seem all that odd aspects of the case had worked their way into her dream or even that Dean had as well. Usually her dreams about him were more… explicit rather than sweet.

Falling asleep had not been her plan but she had taken a few healthy slugs of whiskey from her flask when she had returned to her room before trying to zone out for a few minutes. Perhaps it was that state that fueled her dreams. There was no reason, she thought, to go back to sleep now. With a soft sigh, Mae threw back the covers. She tried to think of the worst jobs she'd worked, and, in all honesty, she couldn't find one in her memories that was as taxing as this one was.

The thoughts and images that swirled around her mind, spurring her to argue Dean had shifted. She wasn't sure why or how, but it had. She wasn't feeling the same kind of anger build in her belly. No, it wasn't anger, it might have been fury, but this was driving straight into lust.

Closing her eyes, she tried to massage the tension out of her neck. The sensation of his soft lips just whispering over hers was something she could still feel. The simple thought of how warm his body felt against hers, through all the layers made her warmer now. There was a lot she disliked about that situation, about how they ended up outside the building, with him pressed up against, full of anger and... was it lust? Was it aggression or a need to dominate her in some way? She just couldn't be sure.

In any other situation, she knew he wouldn't have acted that way. It wasn't his style and more importantly, it wasn't his nature. While he might have been aggressively flirtatious at times, he wasn't the kind who found gratification in force. In fact, if her experiences were any indication, he needed to be wanted. But there had been something uncontrolled in his eyes, just for a moment, before he backed down. Or took control of himself again.

Mae rubbed her wrists. No marks but he had held her tighter than needed. She had been more than willing to fight him, if this had been like the other times. And she certainly wasn't going to let him push anything further than she was comfortable. At the same time, she recognized that uncontrolled flash in his eyes. It met its twin as something in her. Maybe he saw that too. Maybe he didn't. But whatever that unknown, unfamiliar feeling was, it wasn't them.

The answer had to be simple, it had to be something that would slap them upside the head and remind them that they were a step behind everything. She went to collect her things but realized she had left her bag in the bar which was incredibly stupid. She needed the papers she had gathered and her notes there. While they had planned to unwind a bit, she wanted to make sure she had what she needed if something came up. She only hoped the bag was with lost and found and that someone hadn't stolen it.

There wasn't anything particularly incriminating in it since she took notes in code. It would look like a bunch of jumbled information, nothing more. The room next door was quiet, and she figure the boys hadn't left the bar yet or were already asleep. Going back was far more uncomfortable for her if either brother were there. Of course, Dean would be a bigger issue that Sam. She didn't care as much about the scene they may or may not cause but she simply didn't have another fight in her right then.

It would have been easier, less troublesome and perhaps wiser to just throw on a pair of jeans and get her stuff. Instead, she sent a quick message to Sam hoping he would subtly check it and remember to bring her bag to her. She also was mindful of the fact that if Dean saw it, it would only add fuel to his jealousy. She didn't want to give Dean another cause to doubt her, but this was easier than actually speaking to him or seeing him.

Mae felt like she was overthinking everything. It was enough to drive her insane. Maybe that was the point of this all. Drive people insane? Sure, as hell was taking a long enough time in her estimation. It shouldn't have been hard to drive her totally nuts, she was half way there already. But this was a slow drip sort of situation and she was not a patient woman when it came to something like this.

Sam hadn't written back. Maybe he didn't have a chance yet, maybe he hadn't seen the message, maybe he couldn't without raising his brother's suspicions. At least she still had her laptop, so she could perhaps try to do some extra research. There had to be something out there. If someone had been staging this thing, they had to find that level of detail somewhere. She turned on the TV as she started up her laptop. Closing her eyes, a moment, she pushed her issues with Dean to the back-burner.

There was something they weren't seeing, something. Tapping her fingers, she simply stared at the newspaper article on the girl's death. The soft knock at the front door startled her more than she would have liked to admit. It was probably over kill, she thought, to answer the door in shorts and a tank top while keeping her .44 hidden in her hand behind the door. Still, it brought her a certain level of comfort. Finding Sam Winchester at her door put her at ease.

"Hey," He said after she opened the door all the way to let him in. He tried to be casual, surveying her room, and really it just looked like any other hunter's room he'd seen. Not that he'd seen anyone outside his family set one up, but she kept her in kind.

Taking her bag from the tall young man, she gave a half-cocked grin. "Thanks."

Sam wasn't exactly invited in but casting a glance over his shoulder, shut the door behind him. "So…" he awkwardly began, tucking his hands in his pockets as he glanced around her room, trying to avoid looking at the redhead, "I brought your bag."

"Yeah, you sure did. Um, gold star."

He cleared his throat as he tried to come up with something more to say. "That's some tattoo," he said, pointing to what appeared to be a snake's tail showing below the hem of her shorts and disappearing up her leg.

"I guess. Um, well thank you for grabbing my stuff. I didn't anticipate things would go down like that and I just needed...space."

"No problem, Mae. So..."

"So...?"

He reminded himself that Mae was nothing if not direct. "Okay, what the hell is up with you and Dean?"

Turning back to the small motel table she had her laptop set up on, she set the weapon down and tossed the bag in an adjacent chair before taking a seat herself. "Wish I could tell you."

"It's getting really bad."

If only he could catch her eyes, better assess what she thought of the situation. He didn't think it was intentional, not on Mae's part of his brother and he was beginning to sense that neither did they. But the redhead remained somewhat elusive.

"I sorta caught on to that too. If I could stop I would." She paused, looking down at her hands. "And I know Dean wants to too. I just… it can't just be a coincidence that we're like this. This spell… I think we're both under it."

That's what the woman in her dream said. She had yet to break that part of her dream down more and it could have been nothing. But there wasn't anything on this case that seemed like nothing. Everything seemed to be some kind of clue, some kind of indication that they were up against something major. But it seemed right. They had suggested the same thing, among other causes. A spell made sense.

"Yeah but why the two of you? Why aren't you fighting with me or anyone else for that matter?"

She shrugged. "Honey, if I knew that one, we might actually be closer to finishing this job."

"Any word on the translation?"

Like flipping a switch, she met his gaze and reengaged now that they were focusing more on the case. "Looking into it as we speak."

Sam nodded and because she appreciated that they were still working on a job, he took his laptop out of his messenger bag and set up at her table too. Carelessly, he moved the bag he had just brought her and took a seat. Her eyebrow arched up, unsure if Sam was aware of what happened between her and Dean. He seemed to know but didn't seem to understand the degree of his brother's distrust of the two of them together.

"Good. I think I found something that might help us on that front."

"Does Dean know you're here?"

"He's still at the bar. I told him I was going to clear out for a while in case...in case I didn't want to be in our room when he came back."

"I don't think that my room is the solution."

"Don't worry about it."

"You're not the one he's getting rough with over it."

"I talked to him. I think he understands that we're not doing anything wrong. If it comes up again, just leave it to me."

Her laugh was sharp. "I don't need you...defending my honor. Or getting your ass kicked for me."

"I can hold my own with my brother. Besides, it's...I don't think he's really jealous. I just think he wants things to be... easy with you. Like, if you had asked him to dance."

"I wouldn't have. He would have turned it...sexual and...it wouldn't have been fun with him."

"You need to tell him if you don't want that with him because I'm pretty sure he thinks that's where whatever the two of you have is going."

Her gaze shifted from his, focusing on nothing. "I don't...Listen, I'd tell him if I knew. But um, I don't really want to talk about this with you so... what did you find?" She asked.

"Well, I was checking out our witch's MySpace page-"

"You found that? How?"

"Geez, you and Dean are two of a kind." Sam muttered under his breath.

Mae frowned but let it go. Looking over Sam's shoulder, her frown deepened. "Angelface? What kind of witch calls herself 'Angelface'?"

"Angela Morell for one."

Scrolling down the page he brought up the long line of comments that had caught his interest. Mae's lips twisted with concentration as her eyes skimmed down the page. "Well that's promising," she said.

"Yeah that's what I thought too."

"Hmm…well looks like you earned that full ride of yours Stretch." The familiarity of the light teasing was a relief and his smile became more genuine. "So... anyone can see this, yeah? And he's hardcore... perving on her."

"I guess."

"Kids these days. Now tell me… our frequent poster, goth boy would be…?"

"Grant Tanner."

"Grant Tanner? Well that's something finally. So, I guess we track down this kid and rough him up."

He showed her the young man's home page as well and there weren't any signs that he had been online since the Morell girl had died. "If he's still around."

"C'mon, by the looks of that kid the only thing pulling him away from here is some sort of Dungeons and Dragons weekend slumber party."

"Slumber party?"

"I don't know, I was the girl who spent most of my time in high school dodging the nuns and smoking in the bathroom. And you know, getting into trouble with your brother."

Her smile at that was encouraging in some way because even if Dean didn't see it, she did have a soft spot in her heart for his big brother.

Sam smirked a little too. "I thought you were more or less an A student."

"Failing classes doesn't make you a badass. Besides, Uncle Bobby wouldn't have let me hunt if I let my grades slip."

The two fell into a congenial rhythm working for nearly 2 more hours, tracking down as much information as they could on Grant Turner, before they realized it. With a stretch, the shaggy haired giant of a Winchester couldn't hide his yawn and Mae laughed a bit. "Sam, go to bed."

"I'm fine."

"We've done a lot already. Besides if we did go looking for this kid, we'd look massively crazy going after him at," She looked at her wrist watch, "2:30 in the morning. And that's like twice as crazy as we'll look anyway."

His smirk led into another yawn and he decided she was right. "Dean's still not back yet."

To be honest, she hadn't really noticed that the room next door was still silent. But at the mention of where the older hunter might be, Mae seemed to tense. "He's a big boy. Surely you'd like some time to yourself."

"Yeah, I just… I'm worried."

"No offense dude, but you're such a girl."

Sam rubbed the back of his neck as he stood and stretched tall. "Alright, I guess. We'll pick this up in the morning."

"Sure, thing Sasquatch."

He sighed, shaking his head. "You and Dean."

"Aw… shut that pretty mouth of yours Sammy."

* * *

Dean felt the fire burn in the pit of his stomach as the need gnawed at the back of his neck. Nothing was making it go away, not the alcohol, not an attractive and willing woman, nothing. He knew the only thing he wanted right then was Mae. There was still a lingering reminder in the back of his mind that he didn't want her, not like this. It made any desire he had for other women pale when he thought about the redhead. She inflamed him, that slow burning passion now seemed like a blaze.

If he could just find something to quench the flames, he could actually do his job. How could this be getting worse? They had been about ready to kill each other, and they were worried about fighting more and more. This felt more dangerous and less connected to anything. At least when they were arguing, no matter how over the top and disproportionate the reaction, it had a foundation in something. A mild disagreement, under whatever was influencing them turned into a screaming match. But this feeling... they were not flirtatious, the were not exchanging any sort of romantic overtones.

The only thing that this feeling seemed to feed on was misplaced jealousy and long buried feelings for her. The only time he came close to feeling normal was when he was far away from her. Maybe he needed to step away from this, let Sam and Mae finish the job. That voice in his head still told him, he couldn't totally trust that something wouldn't happen between the two. He knew he needed to, both his brother and his former lover assured him of that much.

In his heart, he knew she wasn't interested in Sam. Sam wasn't interested in her. He also knew hadn't really been interested in his father either. She hadn't said as much but he knew that it was more likely she saw John Winchester as a father figure, not love interest. But that didn't do much to contain the jealousy he felt towards either man. With a growl, he slammed down the rest of his whiskey before throwing some bills on the bar and stalking out into the night.

* * *

Alone now, she smirked to herself, what she could only classify as need has subsided while she put all her energy in to working. The low buzz that seemed to fill her body before was revving up again, threatening to destroy her barely maintained control. The yawns that had helped Sam shuffle off seemed contagious as she found herself overcome by them now too.

Her system wouldn't have said no to another nap or, God forbid, a few genuine hours of sleep. Still, she didn't feel as if sleep would come. She was a little too wired to simply easy back into sleep. And her dream had bothered her a bit more than she expected. It had an incredibly… real feeling to it. Almost like déjà vu. Only she knew she had never actually seen or spoken to the woman in her dream before. Too much TV maybe.

Standing now, Mae paced the room, wishing the solution would just come to her and perhaps she could leave a note for the boys before getting the hell out of dodge. Running away wasn't her style exactly but she if she couldn't bring herself under control, she couldn't do anything. As easy as it was to work with Sam, as much as she wanted to have that with Dean, she knew it would swing back to uncomfortable.

She sighed and ran her hands through her hair, the frustration that filled her was reaching the point where she might snap. It had to be this case. People were acting strangely all over this town. "No," She said to herself, "not all over town. It's me and Dean, those officers and probably our dead witch… and someone else? Oh, damn, we have been so stupid."


	15. Chapter 15

* * *

He didn't slam the door by any means but as the latch caught, Mae jumped. Sam had done back to their room through the adjoining door and she'd neglected to lock her side of it. Of course, neither brother was on entering without knocking terms and she was actually a little scared when Dean entered her room. The skittering beat of her heart made it difficult for her to keep calm. God, the look of the man was enough to speed up her breathing and she found her mouth dry. It was difficult to pinpoint the exact reason, but he looked wild, untamed and dangerous. If the look in his eyes was any indication, he felt that way also. No words came to her when she opened her mouth to say something.

He moved closer, hazel green eyes verdantly dark and predatory now. It set her heart to pound and she took an involuntary step back. She knew what the man was capable of and while she wasn't frightened per say, she felt anxiety at his presence this time. No, she wasn't afraid of him, but she was afraid of the sudden, primal desire that swirled in her. It was stronger than it had been hours ago and much stronger now that they were face to face.

She swallowed, trying to temper that feeling and bring something rational to the table. She wasn't sure if they were going to get into a physical fight or...something equally physical. The air almost seemed to crackle with the magnetic tension. "Hey. I, um...Dean… we, Sam and me that is, we did a little more digging. Sam figured out... something...and uh, we think we found…"

He wasn't listening anymore, she knew as much but she needed to keep her distance. Forever step he took forward, she edged back. This wasn't like before, this wasn't going to end in a simple fight. There was something in his eyes that made her wonder for an instant if it really was Dean. Maybe they really were dealing with a demon and it had possessed him. In that moment, she felt rather hopeful. If Dean wasn't Dean that would have explained a lot. And it made everything suddenly much more dangerous, if true.

"Dean, say something…" Her tone was one of warning although her posture was anything but defiant. She kept backing away from him, trying to put as much space between them as possible until she found her gear. She needed to play it as cool and calm as she could. There was very little room for error. Her normal response would have been to confront him, she would never have found herself feeling this intimidated.

The thought of an actual threat, an actual thing to hunt helped clear her mind a little. Dean wasn't any different from another threat, she knew she might have underestimated him even because she knew his training and more importantly knew what he would let himself do. There had never been a time when she was genuinely afraid of him, rather the opposite. He made her feel safer just by being near her. And she didn't feel that way now.

Moved closer to the table, knowing her gear was tucked neatly nearby but so was her gun. The gun wouldn't really help her, but it might give her an extra second. She felt the rough canvas of her bag with the heel of her foot. As quickly as she could, she dropped, grabbing her gun off the table and plucking a bottle of holy water from its assigned place in the bag.

Both moves stopped Dean, if only momentarily. He raised an eyebrow and was about to say something when he got a face full of water. He wasn't sure if he was amused or annoyed. It was a useful distraction as he realized he might have seemed a bit...insane. In truth, he felt like he might be, just a bit. Coming to her room was an impulse but he took advantage of the unlocked door.

"I'm not a demon Mae."

She seemed unmoved. More importantly, she still had the gun trained on him. "I have an idea of how to fix this."

"I think we should keep our distance. That's the only time we don't fight."

"Do you want to fight me right now?"

No, she though, that wasn't the current feeling she had but she wasn't convinced that acting on any of their impulses was a good idea. Their gut instincts seemed very off at present. "No, I don't want to fight. I think that you should go back to your room and... sleep this off."

"I think you should put down the gun."

He wasn't wrong about that. She was on edge, unsure, and it wasn't going to result in anything good.

"That's better," Dean said as she set her weapon back down on the table, along with the holy water. "Now...I think we both know that we can't keep doing this. I mean, you did just pull a gun on me and assume I was a demon."

"Thinks make more sense if you were. Instead...you're just...we're just...wrong."

"Maybe. Or maybe...just let me try something." His voice was gravelly and sent an involuntary shiver down her spine. Surely, he wasn't thinking the same thing she had been thinking lately, this whole case. No, she knew exactly what he wanted to try. While she knew it was not a good idea, she couldn't think of any of the reason as he moved closer to her again. She couldn't think of much else when he cupped her check. In an instant, his lips were hard against hers. The strong taste of whiskey and Dean filled her mouth, filled her head with a cloudy sort of ecstasy. Somewhere in her mind, her logical side tried to push back against the intoxicating feeling.

Dean knew he hadn't been drunk when he came in her room but being so close to her, kissing her so deeply made him second guess himself. Kissing her left his head swimming and what has seemed like a bright idea now felt like it wasn't his idea at all. It was an all-consuming, undeniable impulse. He _needed_ her and no other woman, no other outlet would suffice. What kind of person did that make him? He would be the first to admit that his track record with women would in no way leave him in the running for sainthood, but he at least gave the women he'd been with a fair chance to turn away.

He didn't feel like that was the case with Mae. He knew that wasn't what he wanted. He hoped his relationship with the woman would have finally begun to improve. It wasn't likely too now, but he wasn't thinking about that now. He didn't care about that right now. At least the side of him that was winning at the moment didn't. No, that side had other plans for his childhood sweetheart.

All the warnings in his mind were heedless as he pushed her up against the wall. Blunt, warm fingers gathered as the hem of her shorts, gripping her firm flesh as he forced her off her feet and brought her legs up around his waist. Her eyes were hot and angry but like a kick to the head she found herself wanting one thing; Dean Winchester. It was impossible to fight and in the same way she had been compelled to argue with him over almost anything merely a day ago, she was unable to stop herself from wanting his touch.

Her hand grabbed at his cropped hair tugging harshly which merited a bite almost hard enough to break the skin. She pulled back, pressing her fingers to her mouth, checking for blood. It was a moment she thought that should have cleared her head and made her stop. But she didn't. She wasn't sure that she wanted him to keep going, she wasn't sure that she wanted him to stop. But the urge and need to keep going overtook her thoughts.

At her gasp, his touch softened, and he pressed a much kinder kiss to her mouth. To her surprise she found herself kissing him back and liking it, not just because it was in all respects an amazing kiss but because all the petty bickering didn't fill her then. It wasn't exactly the feeling of comfort or even desire that she had once felt with him, more like an odd combination of lust and an unusual compulsion to submit to that need that had her taking part in the kiss rather than fighting him off.

The kiss heated all too quickly until she wasn't thinking at all. Everything was just a driving need and sensation. More than the angry kisses or the sweet ones, his mouth combined both in a feeling that was just as possessing as it was giving. One hand tangled in her hair, caressing and soothing her scalp while the other explored her lean frame. His hands were on her, all over her. Her hands seemed to search all over his chest, over his shirt, which seemed far too restrictive to him at that point. She wasn't even sure how they got this far. His mouth was latched hard and firm against hers as he walked her backwards to the bed.

"What are we doing?" Mae muttered against his lips when he pulled back to take a breath.

Green eyes looked deep into hers. And damned if he could find a reason in his lust-clouded mind that made any sense, that truly explain what he needed in a polite way. "I want you."

"I'm not sure we're thinking."

Even as she spoke the words that a part of her hoped would dissuade them long enough to find their bearings, she angled her head back granting him access to nip and suck at her neck. He took advantage of the position to take a possessive bite of her neck and push her back to the bed. The movement seemed to stop him for a moment when her legs slid around his hips. "I know, I know."

Then of course he saw her eyes. They were angry, lusty, deep and warm all at the same time before she bared her teeth before biting into his shoulder. His brain went hazy with desire and he was fairly certain the squeak of pleasure came from him. He shifted to shove her shorts down her long legs and move her soft sleep shirt out of the way. It wasn't enough for her, she wanted him just as vulnerable and exposed as she was now. Fortunately, he didn't let her down, undressing himself with an amazing speed. It was too much to be apart from each other at this point, that burning need glossed over everything else.

Closing her eyes, Mae let the sensation wash over her. His hands roamed with a sense of ownership along her body. Her nails tattooed her mark on his muscular body. Quick and rough was perhaps not intended but what happened. The still functioning part of his brain told him he needed to stop. This wasn't the right way for this to happen, it wasn't the right time. But it felt right, it felt good, and reason didn't seem to reach either of them. Neither hunter could attest to ever feeling this way before, not with each other or anyone else. It was unreal and if asked about it later neither would remember any details in particular.

That crescendo sensation came over both of them too quickly, too suddenly. With a ragged breath, Dean felt his senses coming back together and was dimly aware of her soft pleasure-laden moan. He smiled, just a bit, he pressed his lips against her neck. He had come to her room, claiming to have a solution to their conflict and while he hadn't ruled out sex, it hadn't been his original solution. And then everything seemed to dissolve into need. She made him want to lose control from the second his hands had touched her. If she picked up on the tremor running through his body, she didn't say anything.

For a few moments, they lay together, a bit awkward but neither recovered enough to move apart yet. Everything started to come back, in particularly lucid contrast to the general lack of clarity just moments before. At least they weren't fighting, she thought bitterly. However even the sweetness of their phone calls before they saw each other again had not pointed them towards anything like this. She was in no way ready to get involved with Dean like this again.

And now it felt wrong. She'd said it felt wrong before but now it really did. She was certain that if Dean started thinking clearly again too that he would want to get as far from her as physically possible. There would be a sweet relief in that. If she thought for a moment that she could get away with never seeing him again, she might be happy. However, it wasn't a thought she particularly enjoyed. She knew she would miss him. However, she couldn't say the same for him. His reputation notwithstanding, he wasn't exactly the 'sticking around' type.

Recovering first, Mae shoved at his chest. "Get off me Dean."

He only moved a little. His voice was warm and inviting against her ear. "Mae—"

"I'm serious; I don't want you touching me now."

"Maeby-"

"Move before I hurt you."

Dean frowned but rolled to the side as she asked. Quick as lighting she was up searching for her carelessly discarded clothes. He sighed, sitting up to watch her. "Okay I'll admit that was… weird but-"

"You need to leave."

"Oh, come on. It's not like... I wasn't alone here, Red."

"You're right, you weren't but that doesn't make it right."

"We're both adults here. We had sex, no big deal."

"And it's no big deal for you to leave either."

To assist in his speedy departure, she threw his clothes back at him, even as she was still getting dressed herself. When she came close enough to the bed, he reached out a grabbed her wrist. She stopped but the almost skittishly shy look on her face made him back off a bit. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I didn't want... just don't. Don't just act like this was normal. Maybe you put something in my drink?"

"The hell I did. The hell I would! Besides, what drink? We fought before you had anything."

He was right. There hadn't been an opportunity for him to do any such thing, even if that had been his intention. She knew while lies and charm were something, he's used to bed a girl, he wanted her to be otherwise willing. And she had been. in fact, moments ago, it didn't seem like she would be able to do anything but have sex with him. Still, it didn't feel like she had made the decision to do so. "It—it is a big deal."

"Okay, maybe it wasn't as well planned as…" He licked his lips, trying to reassure her that he wasn't about to run out on her or get overly attached because of this, "it wasn't what I expected but it was... pretty amazing."

"You can reminisce about this in your own room. Right now, I just want to be alone."

"Are you sure? I mean, maybe that's not the best idea, considering."

"Please just put your clothes on and leave."

It wasn't what he wanted by any measure. He wasn't exactly sure what he wanted but he knew that being shuffled out of her room right after some pretty earth-shaking sex was not the answer. But he let go of her wrist and she slipped into the bathroom. Dean knew he had screwed up but for the life of him didn't feel like it was the same kind of mistake she obviously did. In fact, it was actually the first time he felt remotely clear headed since they took this job. He felt like his old self. That wasn't what he was going to tell Mae because she was clearly disturbed by the entire oddly timed coupling.

The best course of action for the night was to do as she asked. After all, she rarely made idle threats and he didn't feel like getting his ass kicked right then. However, he couldn't just leave without talking to her. They needed to come to some sort of understanding. He needed to know that he didn't somehow mess things up. It occurred to him that she was just eager about being with him, her need reflecting his own at least slightly, but he hadn't been thinking clearly and he had done little to make sure she was enjoying it.

After he dressed, he sat on the edge of the bed waiting for her. She would either have to sneak out or talk to him. When she realized that, she opened the door reluctantly. Mae looked unexpectedly pretty he thought. Her hair was still tussled a bit, but she had combed it, washed her face and that haunted look from earlier seemed to have dissipated. Her eyes were challenging as she saw him still there. But he held up his hands in surrender before she spoke

"Hey, I need to know if you're okay. Okay? If you didn't...If I did something wrong, I need to know. Then I'm gone. That's not a lot to ask, is it?"

She paused then opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted. The loud crash from the other room brought them both back to reality. Although muffled by the meager walls and closed door, it set off alarms for both hunters.

Dean was on his feet and through the adjoining door before Mae could even question him. Nevertheless, she was only steps behind him. Genuine worry crossed her face as she saw the fear in Dean's face. It would have been wrong to say the man was never afraid, she knew better but he usually hid it better than the raw emotion on his face as he rushed to his brother's side. "Sam!"


	16. Chapter 16

* * *

The only light in the room came from Mae's, casting shadows as she stood with her arms folded over her chest. The worst thing she could say about the whole situation is that she was relieved for the interruption, concerned about Sam but grateful that it took Dean's focus off her.

That still left the problem of the young man on the floor who was currently unresponsive to his brother's questioning. There was more than enough worry in the barking tone that ordered the taller man to attention. He took hold of his brother's shoulders and snapped at him again. Sam's face was creased with pain as he held his temples.

The crash had come when Sam had evidently fallen out of bed, taking the lamp with him. His hand and the side of his face were bleeding, but the cry of pain was more worrisome. Mae felt useless, standing in the door watching the scene. Dean's eyes flicked to her, worry, fear, trust, need all mixed into that brief, darkened expression.

"What's happening?" She asked as she snapped out of it and crossed to the bathroom.

"Nightmare."

Luckily, Dean didn't see the skeptical gather of her eyebrow. "A nightmare?"

He didn't answer her as she turned on the tap and wet a washcloth. When she came back in the room, Sam was back. His eyes were wide, his breath was rough and uneven. Dean was helping him to his feet to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Hey, you okay?" Mae asked, coming to stand in front of him to survey the damage. Dean let her, standing awkwardly to her side. Casting a glance at him over her shoulder she asked if he could turn on the lights.

He nodded and soon the room was illumined in the harsh over head lights. Gently, she pushed Sam's dark shaggy hair out of his face. Most of the blood seemed to have come from his forehead she noted as she wordlessly moved to his check his extremities. They weren't much but they were enough to be annoying when they started to heal as Mae pressed the cool clothe to Sam's head. It wasn't bad. His hair would probably cover it.

She cleaned the minor wound carefully with her minimal supplies. It wouldn't hurt him to let her at least put antiseptic cream on, but she knew the second she moved away he wouldn't let her fuss. Despite keeping her focus determinedly on the younger brother, she could feel the nearness of Dean and his eyes on her all the same. It was difficult to keep her breathing perfectly even, but she hoped it wasn't as belabored as she imagined it to be.

Something was up between Mae and Dean, Sam knew it; he hoped it was part of the same fight they had been having, not a precursor to his vision. His eyes widened, moving from his cross armed brother to the woman crouched in front of him. Her touch was disturbingly calming he realized. It wasn't something he would have attributed to Mae, particularly not lately but those slender hands were soft, warm and almost maternal as she would scoop the hair out of his face and cradle his jaw. The cool relief of the washcloth against his face was soothing and he couldn't quite recall the last time someone had taken care of him like this.

He supposed he appeared rather pitiable in his boxers and t-shirt, bleeding after just having fallen out of bed with another horrible vision. His calm moment was broken when it all came back to him. Wide eyed, he sprung up, nearly knocking Mae backwards as he retreated to the bathroom. Frowning, she stood. Nightmares didn't explain one damn thing about what was going on for the redhead.

She watched the door slam shut with a worried look before turning to Dean. Her emotions for him had turned once again but this time it didn't feel like she had no control. There was plenty of embarrassment, regret and just a hint of resentment but not like before. Where she thought she would find anger, she felt a nauseating sense of disappointment and shame. But that at least she understood, and she suspected was part of that damn spell.

Mae might not have admitted it to Dean but a small part of her that knew that she might have slept with him anyway. Had things not started out so rocky, tense, and awkward. Although she didn't anticipate it happening that way. Nor did she expect to enjoy it the way she had. Enjoyment wasn't the right word exactly. It wasn't quite like a one-night stand. Those dalliances were rather ill planned, booze fueled, and not particularly pleasant in terms of anything but a desired release. Plus, she didn't have to hand out with those guys and their brother right after.

This could neither be casual or meaningful. The lack of clarity and physical drive were something else entirely, something she didn't have time to analyze in the moment. And something she would much rather ignore. It was a painfully familiar situation and one she hadn't expected to find herself in with yet another Winchester. If she ignored the unplanned sex part, this the first time since they had been together on this job that she felt like she could ignore what she felt and work with him. She didn't have to tell him any of this.

Dean had sat on the other bed as Mae straightened. His head was cradled in his hands before he dragged his hands through his hair roughly. It pulled at her, the same way Sam's distress had. She wasn't vain enough to assume he was feeling this way about her.

"Nightmares?" She repeated as she sat beside him.

Turning to face her, and not sure why she was still there, his eyes narrowed a moment. A spurt of anger bubbled in his throat before it was quashed by the knowledge that he had no idea how to protect Sam from this. And that it wasn't her fault. She didn't know about any of this. Unlike before, any anger or annoyance didn't come easily. He had expected it to, almost wanted it to come in this moment. At least then he might have an outlet. Mae would have been an all too convenient target and he knew she would have let him take it out on her too. Maybe that's why he couldn't.

In less than an hour, she had become a handy outlet for his needs. All he could do was swallow hard before standing again, avoiding the bits of lamp on the floor. He couldn't be so near her right then without feeling guilty. He was suddenly feeling so in control and it made the way he had been feeling seem irresponsible and dangerous. He had no excuse for his actions and her currently accepting nature wanted to make him shake her until she realized what had just happened. Of all the times he deserved to be hit by the woman, this was in the top 5.

He might not have always stuck around after, but he never forced himself on someone. Of all the women for him to break that rule with, Mae was the last one he wanted to put in that situation. She tried to cover it, but he caught it when she said, 'I don't want...". While he didn't pick up on any signals during their encounter, he also hadn't really checked in with her. It was killing him that she wasn't angrier right then. The woman was too quiet as he walked the narrow width of the room.

He needed a distraction and so Dean took his phone out. Maybe just maybe his dad would pick up and give them a hand, anything. He knew they were in over their heads with this one. Mae sat on the end of the bed, watching him try once again to reach John. She wondered if she might have better luck but didn't say anything right then.

"This happen a lot?" Mae finally asked after the man left a terse but wrenching message for his father followed by his pacing and ranting under his breath.

He turned back to the redhead, having almost forgotten she was there. "Too often."

"Is it always that… bad?"

Dean nodded as he sat back down beside her. "Will you call?"

Her face pulled into a distressed frown and her exasperated sigh made him feel more desperate. "Dean, what makes you think he'll answer?"

"I don't know but… this is my brother."

Those pretty lips pressed together a moment before she answered. "Yeah, okay."

With a small sigh, he watched walk back into her room. Phone in hand, she returned and as if it were a performance, she dialed his father's number. He held his breath hoping that Mae would most certainly get their dad to pick up. If the man wouldn't answer his own flesh and blood, maybe the pretty redhead would be enough. She turned the speakerphone on and he heard Dad's all too familiar message about how to reach him. She didn't even bother to leave a message. He wanted to throw something or hit something. His father was a real bastard sometime. Sammy needed his help.

He needed his help. Mae might have been the only one of them who wouldn't want to see him. But he didn't care about that as much. Dean looked down at his lap. He felt helpless and right then didn't care if Mae saw it. Patting his leg, Mae sighed. "I haven't spoken to your dad since he asked me to find you. I don't have a clue where he is or what he's doing. And… I don't know why he's doing this either."

Dean looked over at the redhead. She was quite lovely with her hair down around her shoulders and that soft smile. He frowned, noticing the swelling in her lower lip. He raised a hand, reaching out to stroke his thumb over the injury but just let it drop back down to his lap. For some reason, having her here made him feel a little less lost. For the first time, everything was back to normal with them. That shouldn't have been the case, but it was a welcome change of luck, not matter how it came about. "He's been having those nightmares since Jess."

Her sweet face turned to a frown. "He did see her die and… your dad told the story about your mom enough. I mean I know as a group we don't deal with these things very well. Maybe, well… you can't lose someone you love without some repercussions."

He shook his head. It was a natural assumption; while they didn't deal well with such loss, they understood it. But she was wrong, he knew from experience. "You saw it Mae. You ever have a nightmare like that?"

Her lips pressed together in a pencil thin line. "I don't know. What do you want to do next?"

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees and his shoulder slumped with a sigh. "I don't know."

His head hung down and Mae thought he looked so defeated. It was a look she hadn't thought she would see on Dean. Her whole life, Dean had always been the strong one, almost unaffected by this life. She had tried to be more like him all the time. It didn't exactly work out for her. He looked a little more human now. Despite his attempts to push his true emotions behind that carefree attitude, smart-alecky mouth and lazier-fair relationships, he was a sensitive man. Dean's feelings ran deep. And it made all those old feelings for him rush at her.

Sliding closer, she pressed an uncertain hand to his back. "We'll figure all of this out, okay?"

"How?" He scoffed a bit, "Dad's missing and… whatever the hell he's hunting, it has to be big right?"

Mae shrugged. She wasn't sure how much to tell him about what she knew. Part of her arrangement with John was that she'd run interference. He'd told her what he was hunting, and he knew the exact strings to pull to convince her to help him. It wasn't just because he said he's help her dig up information on her hunt, not entirely. It was because she knew having the boys along on this particular hunt meant running the risk of them being used to hurt him, or them getting killed. And John knew that she couldn't steal herself against that idea.

"And this thing with Sammy…"

She tried to soothe him with a gentle circle over his back. Dean relaxed a bit. The touch was nice. "Things are fresh for him. Between seeing someone die and this job...he'll get used it again. His nightmares will get better in time."

"I should tell you, Mae, they're not just nightmares. He, uh says, they come true sometimes."

"What?" Her tone wasn't surprised. It was deadly serious.

"That's what he says."

"You mean, honest to God prolific dreams?"

"I guess."

With a short breath, she leaned back a bit. "Well, that's hell of a thing. You know, I'll help you."

Dean shifted, looking at the woman with more than a little surprise on his face. "You'll help us? Me? Even after..." He gestured towards her room.

"Hey, I came, here didn't I? I accept your calls. I call you. And hell … I haven't said no to anything a Winchester's asked me in a long time."

"If I had known that…" He grinned at her with his usual false bravado, knowing she didn't believe it but hoping she would see it for what it was.

With a roll of her eyes, she pushed at his shoulders playfully. "Welcome back Dean."

He pushed back at her lightly as they sat shoulder to shoulder. As he was about to say something, he knew he should keep to himself, the door opened back up. Sam immediately wanted to dart back inside the confines of the bathroom when he was the eyes of both older hunters landed on him. "How you doin' Sammy?"

He didn't want to talk about it. "I'm fine guys, you don't need to worry."

"What makes you think we're worried?" Mae asked. Sam frowned, and the slender woman laughed a bit. "You only woke up screaming. That the international 'I'm fine' signal."

"Mae, it was just a dream."

"The good ones always end with broken light fixtures."

It felt almost like coming home late after "borrowing" the car only to find mom and dad were on to him from the beginning. Sam wouldn't have been the least bit surprised if Mae and his brother didn't try to ground him for this. At least that was the way it felt. Sammy swallowed out of nervousness. The dynamic was different with her here; Neither had quite gotten used to working with Mae when things were normal or figured out all of her little quirks. And when there was tension, it was damn near impossible to try.

But not now. Now, they were calm and collected. That was weird actually. They had only once, to his knowledge actually had a conversation that didn't involve a fight or outburst of some kind. Sam wanted it to be a good sign. If Mae and Dean were getting along then the dream was just a freaky dream and not something worse. Then Mae stood and crossed to Sam. She had to stand on tiptoe to press a hand to his cheek. "Normally, I'd give you a swell 'we'll talk when you're ready' speech but you've gotten all of my tender loving mommy-ness and now you need to level with us about that dream."

Sam frowned. "You don't have to level with me about what's been going on with you and Dean?"

"Hey, you know what I know. Unless Dean has explained..."

"I haven't."

"Then I don't know Sam. I've told you everything I know. But I'm not "

Mae thought Dean would agree with her on this one that perhaps they didn't need to tell his little brother about their reckless encounter that occurred shortly before he woke. Looking over her shoulder Dean nodded. "Yeah Dude, pony up."


	17. Chapter 17

* * *

The rain had started pelting lightly against the motel window. The room was cast in a dull, yellowing light that made it more depressing than had it been completely dark. Sam was torn between concern and an overwhelming need to crawl out of his own skin. Mae and his brother had sat on the end of the bed, side by side waiting for him to explain his vision. For the life of him, he couldn't find the right words. Eventually the lanky redhead stood and walked over to the window, shifting the drapes to peer out into the darkness. She couldn't see anything, the act meant only to get her mind to stop working.

Nothing, it seemed could be simple in their little world. The time she needed to adequately process and compartmentalize what she had just done with Dean didn't seem like it would come anytime soon. Sighing she let the curtains fall back into place and raked her hand through her hair. Her mind was playing tricks on her, as much as her emotions were. But this wasn't about her, not entirely. She turned back to the two brothers, waiting for Sam's forthcoming explanation.

The way they both looked at her now made her feel extra exposed. She became very aware that she wasn't wearing nearly enough, just her shorts and long shirt. She was trying to stay calm, but it wasn't easy. She decided to sit at the table, putting a little bit of distance between all of them.

Sam couldn't have been more uncomfortable unless maybe he was confessing his role in all this. To be honest with himself, he could have told one of them the dream easily but didn't really feel at ease telling both of them what he had seen. It was just embarrassing.

"So, what did you see?" Dean asked calmly.

Sam's eyes darted from Mae to Dean then back. He wasn't sure how much she knew or would want to know about his visions lately. Dean might have told her under different circumstances. It didn't really matter one way or another. Hell, maybe she could figure these dreams out finally.

"You."

Eyes wide with surprise, she leaned against the small counter near the window. "Me?" she scoffed, "I think I'm offended. Usually when men dream about me, they don't wake up screaming. Not like that anyway."

To hide his smirk, Dean bent his head and covered with a weak cough. Her attempt to lighten the mood did nothing to ease Sam worry-creased brow. The younger man gave her a blank but somehow distressing look. "Okay so what did you dream about me?"

He looked towards his brother, but Dean gave no indication that he shouldn't level with Mavis. "I saw you and Dean…"

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Sam cleared his throat. If there was any justice in the world, he wouldn't have to explain anymore. It was bad enough he that that in his brain. But her passive face made no indication that she knew where he was going.

Scrubbing his hands over his face a moment, he winced as he continued. "Together."

"Together? You saw us together?" She almost laughed even as her gut twisted, "C'mon, jokes are all well and good but…I mean, your brother and I are not getting _together_."

Dean looked up at her, not sure what she meant by that. Their eyes met, for just a second, each of them finding the other unreadable.

"Believe me Mae, I didn't want to." He pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes. "The point is, you two… get together, and then everything goes to hell."

Her skeptical breath was halfhearted and just a bit shaky while Dean started coughing earnestly. "That's not exactly descriptive but trust me, if hooking up with Dean were going to send anything to hell, it probably would have happened years ago."

"I can't explain it, I can only tell you what I saw."

"Sam, I'm as willing as the next person to believe those things people say are crazy but one bad dream—"

His hands shoved through his hair with an impatient ferocity. "This isn't just a dream Mae, okay? I wish it were. Then it would just be... weird and gross but it's more than that."

Mae shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest. "Hey, I'm not saying that it doesn't mean something but whatever that is might be up for debate."

Dean was oddly quiet even after recovering from his coughing fit, Sam thought. After all, he knew what these visions were like and that they meant more than Mae was willing to accept right then. Not that Sam blamed her for that, but his brother should have been helping him out, at least a little.

"You may not like it but I'm not making this up."

"I didn't say you were but… the likelihood that Dean and I will do anything is nearly impossible."

Dean's hazel green eyes locked on the woman now. If she had looked over, she might have seen the slight flicker of hurt followed but the outright confusion. "It's not impossible." he piped in.

"Dude…" her eyes flicked momentarily towards Dean as she chided, not particularly interested in full disclosure with Sam at this moment, "so what happens in your dream after that.

"It wasn't clear, it was just a lot of flashes this time." He sighed, wishing he had some more damning evidence, "but the ones stuck out were you covered in that cuneiform, Sheriff Brand choking you, there's a bright flash and for some reason you stab Dean. You're both lying on the ground, splashed with blood, you get up and he doesn't… I'm pretty sure he wasn't breathing."

They were all quite a moment. Mae contemplating why she might stab Dean, knowing that it wasn't a complete impossibility if she had a good enough reason. It wasn't a total shot in the dark. But did it mean anything? Aside from the part of his dream that had already happened, the rest was… there was no way to know. Mae knew she was being stubborn, but she didn't want to believe Sam was right.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she kills after she mates."

Dean finally broke the silence and while Sam paled at the comment and feared reprisal, Mae laughed. "Yeah well… it's efficient."

The older brother offered her a falsely smug smile and she returned it in kind.

"You two go ahead and joke but that's what I saw."

"Ah Sammy… it's probably just an incredibly weird dream this time."

There was no hiding the shocked expression that covered Sam's handsome face. Since when didn't Dean defend him?

"Dean's right, you shouldn't worry about it."

Had he stepped into some sort of parallel universe? All of the sudden Mae and Dean were on the same side and that was evidently the disbelieving side. "Dean's right? What the hell is wrong with you two? You're not acting like yourselves."

"What?" They asked in unison.

Pressing his fingers to his temple, he tried to collect his thoughts. "Well I mean, you are, like your old selves, not like you have this entire time here."

"That's a bad thing?" The redhead inquired skeptically.

She was right. During their entire stay in Twin Falls, that was all any of them had been looking for. "It's weird is all. What changed?"

"Nothing," They both said together, which was of course more suspicious than anything.

Sam looked between the pair. "Did it...did it already happen?"

"You should put something on that cut, Sam." Mae said quickly, standing up with a sigh.

Dean felt his pulse pick up, wondering if that momentary reprieve was all he would get before she shut down again. "Where are you going?"

"Back to my room. Careful of the glass boys, it's everywhere."

* * *

In her own bathroom now, she ran the tap so she could splash some warm water on her face. By accident, she caught her reflection in the mirror. For an instant, she didn't recognize it but a blink later, it was her own face again. The woman however looked a little wild; her red hair maddeningly frizzy and untamed, dark circles under her bloodshot eyes and sallow looking skin. Maybe it was just the lighting or maybe she really did look as ragged as she felt.

She hadn't had much time to let the tension in her stomach uncoiled before the knock came from the adjoining door. Did the Winchesters really think she wanted to chat right then? However, they hadn't been keeping it lock and when she didn't answer, Dean let himself in. "Hey, we need to talk."

"Dude, do you not...get that...boundaries?"

Her first instinct was to push him out the door but as much as she was loathed to admit it, Dean was right. Too often, they refused to speak about their real issues. Still she paused momentarily, hesitantly. Turning off the faucet, she moved out of the bathroom only so far as to lean against the doorway. Her eyes roved over his face, but she found herself suddenly unable to read him.

"Maeby, you heard what Sam said."

"He had a dream Dean." She replied defensively when he finally came into the room.

"That doesn't weird you out?"

So many things currently fell under the 'weirded out' category. "What?"

"Sam's whole Miss Cleo deal."

Her arms folded around her, making her look much thinner, small. "No not really. Maybe he just...over heard, while he was sleeping, and it worked its way into his dream, you know like sleeping with the TV on."

"You think I believe that?" Dean's jaw squared for a moment before he sighed. There was just too much discomfiture between them for him to find a good place to be. He just stood, mirroring her gesture. "These dreams… they have a habit of coming true."

The next breath that left her made her look even smaller. "Yeah you both said. There could be a handful of reasons. I'm not going to just roll with the idea that your brother has… prolific dreams and that what he saw is going to actually happen."

"I don't know, I can't really explain them, but he says… they come true."

"Do you think if you keep telling me that, I'll believe it."

"I know it sounds crazy but… Sammy dreamed about Jess's death, about our house…"

"Now he's having dirty dreams about you an' me. I'm not one to say hey this is too out there for me but… it just seems, I don't know, maybe something else is going on."

Dean shrugged. "Even if he saw what already happened?"

Mae shook her head as she finally walked passed him to take a seat at the table across the room. "All he said was 'together'. That could mean a lot of things."

"You think he saw us having tea and then you stab me later on?"

"I don't know. So maybe he can see into the… present. It's an awful big coincidence that he's dreaming something at the same time it's happening."

"Maybe that's not the important part."

"That's… if his dreams are visions or whatever then we've already done what we should have avoided. I mean if they're actually prophetic, then it's important right?"

As she spoke, he moved to the edge of the other bed, propping his elbows on his legs as he leaned towards her. "That's why we needed to talk, figure out-"

"How to stop me from perhaps killing you?"

His cocky smirk eased the tension a fraction. "Yeah, don't tell me you haven't been tempted."

"Temptation and action are two different things."

"We don't have a great track record dealing with either you know."

Even being able to talk honestly with him, not flying off the handle at the smallest provocation, she was left with a nervous energy whenever he got closer to her. She stood, pacing a bit. "I can tell you this much, it'll be harder if we aren't in the same place."

"I don't like this Mae."

"Get in line."

He didn't fault Mae for being so uneasy around him. Perhaps he should have thought this through a little more thoroughly. "So, if you don't believe Sam, why didn't you tell him we already had sex?"

"That wasn't sex. That was… I don't know what that was but, not sex."

"I'll admit it wasn't the best performance in even our history but I'm pretty sure it was sex."

"Well… either way, I don't feel the need to play Taxicab Confessions with your brother just yet. Do you? Do you want to explain what happened?" She waited for him to answer but he just shook his head, "Go back to your room, maybe Sam will tell you more if he's not turning beet red."

Rubbing her temples, Mae searched for the right words, but she didn't even know where to begin. Her brain told her how she should feel but it wasn't there. Anger, outrage, disgust, shame, guilt—none of it cropped up. She couldn't put her finger on why, but it was there none the less. She was uncomfortable, but not because of the sex. The pacing halted and crossing her arms over her chest, frowning. There was nothing she could say about their situation. She wanted so deeply to be able to focus on something else, but the man wouldn't leave.

In fact, he was unable to leave, unable to figure out what he needed to say to her. Finally, he rose to meet her in the middle of the room and there they stood, eyes locked His feeling were just as conflicted as hers, although he didn't know that. Mae tried to think of something that would ease the pressure. "Dean this is…"

Once he noticed the bruise forming on her pale skin, he couldn't stop himself His finger stroked lightly over the love bite on her slender neck once. She refused to look at Dean's remorseful eyes as he did it. Her lip trembled slightly as her heart tripped over itself and she found herself oddly attracted to the man. It struck her out of nowhere in a way she hadn't anticipated. Something akin to desire laced her nervousness and apprehension over being so near to him. The feeling wasn't unpleasant, but it didn't make her comfortable.

"I'm sorry."

"About?"

"I... I don't entirely know what happened here. Or I guess, I don't know why it happened. One minute, I was kissing you and the next... Mae, if you thought I... If I did something you didn't want...tell me."

"I... I don't know. It's...it seems sort of hazy now, like it didn't even happen."

"But it did."

"You said you thought you could fix this, between us. And then we... so was that your fix?"

"No. I thought...I don't know what I thought. I was just so... everything is turned up to 11 with you. It's all too intense and I get lost in it."

"Yeah."

"Are you okay? Are...we gonna be okay?" He asked softly when his hand dropped wearily to his side.

"Yeah I'll be fine." She paused a moment, licking her lips as she realized it was more difficult now to try and push him away, "Are you?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Good. Then we get some sleep, hit this in the morning. We have some emo goth kid to find."

"I'm...I'm still sorry."

"Don't...I didn't stop you, did I?"

"That doesn't mean...it was totally okay."

"Yeah, that doesn't mean it was totally okay. But maybe that counts for both of us, you know. Whatever this was, it seemed to have a hold on both of us. I'm... I'm not mad at you or...whatever, okay? I don't know what I am. Are you mad or...what are you feeling?"

"Confused mostly. But I also feel...better. I mean..."

"I know what you mean Dean. Don't get twisted up over this, okay? It's...okay."

"I thought before you said it was a big deal."

"I-it was right after and," She closed her eyes, "I don't know Dean. It wasn't ideal but...I guess if that was going to happen, at least it happened to you because..."

"Because why?"

"Don't make me say it."

"I-please, I need to hear it because I'm feeling kind a like I... forced you."

"I don't think you did. I wouldn't have picked this time, or location, or...any of this. But I think whatever spell was cast caught us up in it."

"How the hell would that happen?"

"We've got all kinds of pictures of that cuneiform and don't entirely know what it does or what it summons. Could be powerful enough to impact anyone who meets the general requirements."

"Hmmm..."

"I don't know, it's just a theory I've been rolling around my head. Unless we find out otherwise, that's what I'm gonna believe happened. Deal?"

Dean laughed a little. "Yeah, deal."

"What's wrong," Mae asked, when he didn't move.

"You're not...I mean, you're on something, right?"

"Yeah, man, I'm high on life."

"Birth control." He said bluntly, "We didn't-I didn't think to..."

"Don't worry. I've got it covered. You didn't give me chlamydia, did you?"

"Not this time. I'm clean."

That earned him a light smile. "Well good. Likewise. So... can you get the hell out now so we can kill evil in the morning?"

Dean didn't feel quite right about things. He wasn't sure what could or would make it right. But he knew he'd find away. He needed to. "Okay. Have a good night Mae."


	18. Chapter 18

* * *

Dean took a deep breath. He sat uncomfortably with the feeling of guilt as it settled in his belly. This was something that he didn't want to be an issue, but it was certainly a mistake and if Mae's theory didn't pan out, he wasn't sure where that left him. Mae hadn't stopped him. He hadn't stopped himself. He hadn't been in control and neither was she. It was like someone was using their bodies and they were just along for the ride. That didn't absolve either of them of the responsibility, he thought.

Maybe he felt guilty because a part of him felt so unburdened. The confusion and uncontrollable feelings were just gone. He wasn't quite ready to attribute it all to sex, but he didn't have a lot of other ideas of what could have changed things. His mind couldn't settle between being disencumbered from the stress and turmoil and the shame of not having done things the right way with her.

"She doesn't believe me?"

Sam's question had shaken him out of his inner reflection, so much so because he had almost forgotten his brother would be waiting back in their room. But he was there, standing awkwardly and waiting, expectantly. Dean shook his head. "No but she doesn't have to for it to be true."

The vision bothered him. It was different from the others he had, less clear and much more fragmented. There wasn't a lot he understood about the other visions but even less about this one. Sam wasn't sure how he convinced Dean or Mae of how important this felt. "You don't seem particularly worried about this."

"No, I am. I have zero interest in being stabbed or killed by Mae. But I'm not sure what more we can do about it right now. I… I just don't know right now."

"Something happened between you two."

It wasn't a question and Dean was pretty sure that Sam could have figured it out by now. Mae had tried to keep things close to her chest on the issue, which Dean didn't exactly understand. After all, Sam claimed it had been a part of his vision. What exactly was there to hide? But, well, he needed to talk to make and figure it out so he wouldn't get into it until after that happened. "Yeah, something alright."

"And you're okay now?"

"We don't seem to want to kill each right now. But things aren't exactly okay."

"What happened? I mean, maybe you could try it again."

Dean let himself chuckle at the likelihood of that before he snorted. "I think you should suggest that do her Sammy, I really do."

The younger man frowned, resigning himself to the idea that Dean just wasn't going to let him in on this one. Sighing, he sat back on the end of his bed.

"You don't believe me either do you?"

"Sam, your dreams are weird, man but I have no reason not to believe them. I'm just...distracted, okay?"

Sam nodded. There was something different about his brother, about Mae and more importantly between them. He realized there was a sort of calmness between them but more than that a maturity. The young man wasn't certain why it felt that way but all of the sudden, they fell into those rolls they had taken on years ago, the whole mom/dad dynamic. This was dynamic he expected when they'd met back up with Mae; friendly and a little bit teasing, not angry and defensive.

"Then be careful."

"Hey, careful is my middle name," Dean joked, eliciting only a deeper frown from his little brother, "It's gonna be alight Sam, I promise."

"Mae's not a lightweight. It's not like she couldn't kill you."

"I know. I'm not...pretending that she's just some random chick. I know she could, but I don't think she will." His brother seemed unmoved by the affirmation. Dean sighed, moving to take a seat on the edge of his bed across from his brother. "I'll be careful, okay?"

"Okay. And her too, make sure she's safe."

"Of course. Dude, maybe you should get some sleep before morning if you can."

"Yeah. You should too."

* * *

The rain felt good. It had pelted against the window through most of the night and continued now as day began to ease over the inky sky, it tailed off to a light misting. The pound and scrape of her sneakers was interrupted by the occasional puddle as she ran but the drizzly morning did nothing to dampen her mood. That was odd in itself.

Mae knew she should have been fuming, miserable, or ashamed, just about anything other than relived would have been more appropriate. But not of those came. It was an amazing sensation, having felt that overwhelming surge of emotions over the past few days. It felt like an eternity when it hadn't even been a week.

Prior to this morning, she hadn't felt like herself but suddenly she was back, her head was clear, and she felt like they could solve this. The run wasn't to blow off steam this time, she just found herself amazingly energetic when she woke from the light sleep, she had fallen in after Dean left. Could it be all because of the sex? Even as she ran, she rolled her eyes. If it was the cause, she refused to explain it that ways to anyone least of all Dean. That was all his male ego needed.

Still, it wasn't the worse thing they had done she decided. It's not like she didn't find him attractive and if they weren't feuding or hurt by the other, having sex with him wouldn't have an issue at all. It would have just been sex. It was easier to classify what happened as something else entirely, although she didn't know what she'd call it.

Then there was Sam's dream. He hadn't given the exact details and lord knew she didn't want to hear him describe it or describe her encounter with his brother either. But aside from that aspect, she didn't see the rest happening. At least that's what she was trying to convince herself was the case. If she was being honest with herself, it was imaginable. When she had Dean had fought before, she hadn't pulled any punches. But it was hand-to-hand. If she had really hurt him...

She didn't, even at her most uncontrolled and angry, she didn't feel like severely hurting him. And when she wasn't feeling that way, she really didn't want to hurt him at all. So, if Sam's vision were to be believed, why would she stab him? Why would she leave him on the ground?

Then there was the question of the Sheriff. He was a bigger question than Dean, in terms of emotions and proclivity to doing something but she didn't seem him trying to strangle her. She wasn't sure what could or would cause that. Of course, Sam wasn't wrong about she and Dean getting together.

It wasn't a comforting thought. Moreover, as awkward as it might be for Sam, Dean, and herself, she needed to know what exactly he had seen and if it was the event that had occurred moments before Sam woke. Maybe he'd seen...a different hookup. Maybe it was something from the past or, less realistically, from the future. Mae kept the run short that morning, wanting to start their search for the young Mr. Tanner.

When she arrived back at the motel, she noted there were no signs of life coming from the window of the boys' room but they kept the curtains pulled tight so they might have been up despite the early hour. Sam probably was. Dean would have slept in, if his brother let him. Mae wouldn't check in with them just yet. A pleasant calm had settled over her and she wasn't ready to disturb it.

Instead, she stripped out of her workout clothes and hit the bathroom. After a quick shower and wrapped in the rough motel towel, she turned her laptop on, hoping to find the translation of their cuneiform. Her mouth turned in a frown when she scanned through her email to find nothing new or important. She towel dried her hair before changing into something comfortable and commenced looking over the case details again. Her newfound peace of mind should have aided her she thought but instead all of the information blurred together. If asked, she couldn't have been able to recall exactly what she had thought about or how long she had spent simply staring.

"Breakfast?" It wasn't his voice but the hand on her shoulder that made her jump. Had there been a knock on the door? She had gotten absorbed in… well she couldn't exactly remember. But she had basically stopped locking the adjoining door. Mae rubbed her temples before turning toward Dean. His face was creased with a concerned frown he tried to hide.

"Yeah, I guess I'm starving."

"Did you even eat last night?"

She shook her head. "No." a yawn leading into the reply.

"Mae…" Dean's disapproving anxiety made her snicker.

"What?"

She stood, pulling her hair into a low ponytail. "Yesterday we were headed for a showdown and today you're mother hen-ing me."

"This comes down to you having our back, provided you're not the one trying to take us down, so I have a vested interest in you being sharp." Mae smirked, feeling an unexpected tiredness in her body and stretched. "I'm serious. Maybe after you eat you should take a nap or something. Sam and I aren't totally clueless you know."

"No one said you were. Besides, I slept some last night. I'm good to go. I just… I really hate being bested by some stupid kid, you know?"

"Hey, no one's bested us yet. We might be behind now but wait until the end of the game."

"Yeah I guess."

"Take your mind off it for a while."

She gave him a grin. "Mother hen."

* * *

The trio sat down at the speckled Formica table. After ordering, Sam excused himself a moment.

"Hey, you okay?" Dean asked, his worry becoming more evident.

"Hmm?"

"You're sort of… somewhere else."

Dean was right, she was. This distraction had come out of nowhere although she hadn't thought much of it. It seemed her more skeptical companion did. "Yeah I don't know. Maybe you're right, I'm just... off."

"You are human, and it's been...weird."

"That's an understatement."

"Seriously, why don't you grab some sleep? A few hours might be nice?"

Mae frowned, fiddling with her silverware now. "Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"No, I... I'm...I don't exactly know where we stand and... neither of us got much sleep last night."

"If you want a nap, you can go take one."

"I...can we start over?" His eyes told her that while things might have begun to improve again, he could see the was a different blockade Trust. The ways she trusted him and didn't seemed odd. "Mae, you know, I know I made a stupid move, asking the sheriff to stop talking to you. And I've been...irrationally jealous. It's been getting in the way, but I'm all in now. I promise."

That hadn't been exactly what she was concerned about. Without that shadowy outrage, she had felt when she first heard it, she wasn't sure that it was an out and out bad a move. If they truly were working together, playing the sheriff at the different angles they were, it would be a good idea to deflect suspicion and check their facts. Her issue lay in having worked on her own for so long.

Hunters tended to be solitary creatures, in her experience. They tended to exist watching society, working around its edges but not really being a part of it because of a mix of trauma, paranoia, and perhaps mental illness. Teamwork didn't always come easily or quickly to her let alone with someone she had such a complex history with. In this case, she felt it was less about trust and more about control.

"Well, in the interest of full disclosure on that front, I… sort of arranged a meeting with the Sheriff."

"You did what?"

It was the beginnings of what could become a huge fight and the worry that they hadn't actually fixed that issue edged into her words. "It's not like… okay see he called me the other day and wanted to meet-"

"Like a date?"

"No, not...I—that's… maybe."

"Mae-"

"Okay first of all," She cast a glance over her shoulder to check for Sam then leaned in to whisper, "Despite last night, if I want to go on a date with someone or screw everyone in this diner, that's my prerogative so don't 'Mae' me."

Knowing that this territory was rife with issues, Dean backed down a little. "We're working here, you know, that right? If we weren't, I might agree with you. I'm not telling you want to do or suggesting that..." He sighed, "Yeah, your free to bone anyone you want but do you think this the best time for it?"

"I'm not suggesting that I want to do any of that. But you know you've been sort of...possessive."

"I wouldn't..."

Mae rolled her eyes but said nothing more on the topic as Sam sat back down. His eyes passed between the pair. Something was amiss but nothing he could claim was off outright. A strange air continued between the two, not that he had the best standard to measure against it.

"Did I miss something?"

Dean's jaw tightened a moment before he sighed. "No. Mae's going to meet up with the Sheriff later, she what she can charm out of him."

Mae kept her eyes on the older brother a moment, waiting for the snide comment to follow before Sam's alarmed voice broke her concentration. "He's going to talk to you?"

"Yeah. Is there a problem with that?"

"Him trying to kill you for one!" Sam said a little louder than intended, drawing the attention of a few of the others in the diner for an early breakfast.

"He didn't ask me to meet him just to kill me."

"In my dream-"

"Dude, all due respect but it was a dream."

The shaggy haired man pulled out one of his most effective tools and gave her his puppy dog eyes. "Mae…"

"How is it that you Winchesters can say my name and make it sound like a dressing-down? I don't really know what his intentions are, but I don't need you or your brother or anyone else… defending my honor or whatever. I'm still doing this job and yeah, it's dangerous."

"Shouldn't we... not knowingly walk into a situation where we know one of us will get hurt?" Sam asked.

"Do I need to remind you about about the work we do that keeps us in such finery?

"This is different," Dean added, "he's human, not some monster. We can't just run in and blast him with rock salt to save you."

"If Sam's vision is right, and the Sheriff does go after me, by all accounts, I was fine after that and went on to stab you."

"Funny. Just...if you're still gonna do this incredibly stupid and poorly timed thing, take care of yourself because I don't want you haunting me, okay?"

The mild surprise was impossible to keep off her face, at least it was impossible to keep her eyebrows from arching at his concurrence. "Okay. But I'm not really going on a date with him. It's just if he thinks that, well I'm not above using that to find out something we might need."

He didn't like it at all, but he couldn't exactly argue about it with her. Oddly enough, he _couldn't_ argue with her. Earlier, hours before, he would have. He would have argued almost anything with her but not now. "What, do you think your feminine wiles can get him to tell you something he said he wouldn't tell you?"

"I don't know, maybe. Maybe I can just keep him distracted while you boys to some actual work."

"Well...that's not an entirely bad idea." Dean said, frowning.

Mae smirked. "Don't pout. Like you said, this is business."

"I'm not pouting." Dean pouted.


	19. Chapter 19

* * *

The diner had some of the best pancakes she'd had in a long time. It had been sort of pleasant, aside from the discussion of witches, spells and what to do about it. A few times she caught Dean staring at her, unabashedly for that matter, because when she gave him that lone raised eyebrow in challenge, he only grinned or winked at her. If it had been a contest, she knew she lost every time because she would always look away.

Mae couldn't tell if he was just playing at some bizarre game or if he was trying to flirt with her or if he was trying to use this bizarre behavior to smooth out the awkwardness. It was almost easier feeling mad or irrational around him since there was always some small sliver of something to focus on that wasn't all of her other feelings. She wasn't certain if it was another flare up of this spell or if she were feeling genuine attraction for him. But she was and that complicated everything.

Nothing felt righter than being on better terms with Dean but fighting let her ignore what that meant for her. All she wanted right then was a happy medium between how she felt now and getting into fist fights. Sam had spent a fair share of breakfast trying to talk her out of meeting up with the sheriff, but the woman was stubborn, and Dean had seemingly resigned himself to her plan. Not for the first time, Sam looked at his brother, trying to gauge what exactly he was thinking. By the end of breakfast, he didn't have any clear ideas about any of it. Worse, he felt more and more like a third wheel.

He was more certain than ever that _this_ was part of the spell running rampant in Twin Falls. His brother and Mae might have been caught up too deep in it to really see what was happening. He wasn't going to let anything happen to either of them, even if they planned on fighting him the whole way.

Dean wasn't sure why he felt the way he did with Mae. On one hand, it seemed like they had reached a comfort level with each other that was nearly perfect. But he was certain he was the only one who felt that way. There was no real reason for him to feel that way, given their current situation. He felt...well, he felt like they had never fallen out of step. He wondered if he shouldn't worry more about that.

Because as right as he felt, he knew things weren't right at all. If you set aside the current issues, they had a long list of qualms with each other, of hurts, and still far too many questions. They weren't back in step at all. He was still worried that she had conflicted feelings about the night before. He knew the situation was not as simple as it seemed, and he didn't fully buy her being as okay as she claimed she was with everything.

At least now, Mae was calmer, more rational. So was he. He knew it was necessary to push aside whatever they were feeling, good, bad, or indifferent; they were on a dangerous path. And Dean decided he'd try to act like nothing had happened between them, last night or ever. until this was all over.

* * *

After paying, they headed back to the motel. Sam was intent on going back over police reports and any medical records they could find to see if there was a connection between all of them—a date, a name, anything might help. And find that before Mae had her pseudo-date, he noted to himself.

Dean and Mae planned to search out the young Mr. Tanner, separately, as an appeasement to Sam. He didn't want them to start fighting again or for them to hook up or for her to stab his brother. However, as the redhead opened the door to her room, she felt that perplexing fatigue come over her again. It wasn't a dramatic dip in energy but as if suddenly reminded by Dean's earlier offer, she took him by the arm, pulling him to the side. "What?"

"Do you need me?"

"Do I need you? I... I have a very funny answer to that and I'm pretty sure you won't find it as funny as it really is. What do you mean?'

"I mean, do you think we need both of us looking for this kid?"

"Do you guys just think I'm a raw amateur? I'd remind you that I've been hunting longer than either you or Sam. I think I can find one dumb-ass kid. Why, you figure something else out?"

"No. I just...if you don't need me, if Sam doesn't need me, I think I will catch some shuteye."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I mean, okay is a relative term but yeah, just a little tired after all, I guess."

"Sure. You can take the next shift." The proffered smile was light and congenial as he nodded a sort of farewell

.

Her hand remained on his arm as he tried to walk away. "Just… only a few hours, then I'll be good."

Lack of sleep was nothing new to Mae or the Winchesters but now she felt as if she had just finished a marathon. She was antsy and lethargic all at the same time.

"Do you want me to tuck you in or something?" He asked jovially.

"No, I… are you sure you don't need help?"

"This isn't exactly a rave. That kid's going to stick out like a sore thumb and if I need a hand, I'll let you know." Impulsively, he reached out to push some of the stray strands of hair that had escaped her sloppy ponytail. "You look tired."

"Thanks." She replied sarcastically.

"I don't mean anything by it, you just look… like you could use some sleep."

His hand lingered longer than necessary before she pulled back. Her brows knit together as she frowned a little. "Are you feeling alright?"

Dean cocked hi head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"You're acting… really nice."

"Do you want me to smack you around or something?"

"No, this-the way things are now is more like the Dean I remember, you know, and it's just been a while since I've… since we've been like this. And I don't want to think it's just because we had angry sex last night."

He shrugged, suddenly unsure of himself. "First off, I wasn't angry, I was just...well I wasn't angry. But are you mad that we're not mad now? If I do something right will you tell me that too because I'm a little tired of having you point out everything, I do wrong."

"This isn't wrong, just…weird. But hey, I like old you, I always did. It strikes me as odd."

Dean shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you Mae. I didn't know what was going on with us before, I don't know what's going on now, and it may surprise you that I don't like fighting with you or hurting you. So, forgive me if I think this is better than before, even if we took a messy way to get here."

"I didn't say it was bad or that fighting with you was good. I don't like fighting with you either. Can I just say, before something else happens and I…? I'm just sorry."

"What are you sorry for? You shouldn't be apologizing to me for anything."

"Not for all this and… I don't know what all this was about either but-well I'm just letting you know that I am sorry for anything I've done that wound up hurting you."

"It's okay."

"It's not and... I'm not looking for your forgiveness or anything. I... I don't think enough people tell you they're sorry after they've hurt you and I don't want to be one of those people."

Dean looked away from her. She wasn't wrong and thinking too far down that line wasn't anything that was going to help his state of mind.

"Let's just say we've both made mistakes."

"Yeah."

"Listen, crash out for an hour or so and we'll check back in, okay?"

Instinct told him to kiss her and he wanted to, but he refrained. It would only complicate things. He didn't really want to leave her right then. He couldn't claim he wanted to keep talking about their feelings or all their problems, but he did like being with her. Maybe they could rekindle a thing or two from their past. But this wasn't about them, this was about the job.

* * *

Mae didn't think it would be easy to fall asleep, but after telling Sam to wake her if she wasn't up in a few hours and brushing off his concerns about how she was feeling, she lay down and out almost instantly. It was perhaps an hour later that she woke; her computer dinged almost inconspicuously, letting her know she had a new email. The brief nap seemed to suit her. Full rest was still somewhat elusive, but she felt a bit surer of herself at last, not too much energy and not too little. Yawning, she took her seat in front of the laptop, checking her mail. It was at long last the letter she had been waiting for.

She didn't even have to read all the way through the translation before she started feeling incredibly stupid. Her professor friend hadn't been able to translate it fully. The spell itself had been rudimentary, barely coherent and looking more and more like an accidental sort of conjuring. However, there had been enough there to completely overwhelm even the most experienced witch. Even without that little bit of information, she realized she should have figured out what she just realized long before now.

A great deal of the written spell had been gibberish or possibly something that could be discerned with more time. Mae didn't care about the historical implication of the spell, only how they could deal with it. From what the translation told her, Angela Morell had summoned not one but two ancient demon spirits. Although she suspected the girl hadn't meant to do even that much. It had been more of accident, Mae realized, at least the second demon spirit hat been.

That explained half of their problem, figuring out what they were dealing with. Knowing that meant they could figure out how to stop them. Although, that might not have been their biggest problem. Aside from identifying the two names of the demonic spirits, the other identifiable part was the bad part. If the translation was to be believed, and she had no reason not to believe it, what the spell seemed to do best amplify itself.

"Damn it." Everything between that had been unraveling between her and Dean, between the rest of the townspeople who might have been having issues, was all because of this spell, or at least possessing the text of the spell in some way. But why? Why wasn't it effecting say her and Sam or her any anyone they she has spoken too in quite the same way. She was only fighting with Dean. She only had... well what she could deem only as angry spell sex with Dean. There was something else in that spell that hadn't shaken out from the wording itself or at least what had been translated for her.

More concerning to her was how stupid they had been. Just idiotic. They didn't have a complete explanation, but they did have some more clarity. And the fact that all three of them didn't realize the most obvious thing in their world. The next time she ran her hands through her hair it was with more frustration. "Shit, shit, shit."

They needed to get rid of the text. Like a mad woman, she deleted the files from her computer, sent a message to the professor to delete them as well, and then pulled every paper and photo down off the wall that contained even a fragment of text. Her mind flew through any idea of where they might have it written down. Mae burst into the other room, more a flutter of papers than a person at one point. "Do you have anything else with that writing on it?"

Sam startled at her sudden appearance, a bit worried. "Yeah, we're still trying to figure it out. Are you okay?"

She ignored his question as she pulled down the articles pinned to their wall and spread over the table. "It doesn't matter, we have to get rid of it."

"What? It's like the only clue we have." The woman rushed around the room but when she came close enough, he grabbed her by the arm, "Whoa, slow down and talk to me."

She took a breath, realizing that things couldn't really get worse if she took a few moments to tell Sam what she figured out. "I heard back from my friend. He didn't have time to translate the whole thing but what he did figure out… well it's making us go apeshit. Me and Dean, probably others. We figured there was a spell; that's the spell, and it looks like a powerful one."

"Powerful?"

"Yes, so powerful that even without Sabrina the Teenage Witch alive and kicking, it's doing its thing. Or maybe that's because she's not around to control it. Or maybe it just...burns through people. I don't know. Either way, I think having the spell around is making it affect us, so we have to burn everything we have with it on."

"We burn all the photos and crap and it's all over?"

Mae frowned. "I don't know, maybe. But…"

"The body." Sam said, rather sickened by the prospect. "The girl's body?"

"It's the same spell."

Sam sighed, letting go of Mae's arm now. "Are you sure?"

Her laugh was more than a little bitter. "Clearly, I'm not. I'm not sure about any of this. I just know that… well you have to admit things have been stranger than normal."

"Yeah and at least between you and Dean it was worse when you were in the same place with the spell. Until last night that is. Can I ask you what happened?"

"You can ask but I won't tell you."

"The two of you certainly are trying to keep it secret."

"It's just personal."

She moved away from him, trying to hide the slight blush she felt on her cheeks. In doing so she finished collecting the papers. Mae gathered it all together, a metal trashcan, and matched outside. Dean followed her, watching out for her, but also trying to make sure no one was following them as they moved behind the motel. Sam watched her, still concerned as she pulled a lighter out of her pocket, lit the papers and the them catch. She held them until the flames nearly reached her fingers before dropping them in the can and they watched the papers burn down to ashes.

"You know, I wouldn't judge whatever happened. It has to be better than fighting."

"Sam, I like you. I trust you. But I don't want to tell you everything about myself. Don't you get that?"

"Yeah I do… but if you want to talk-"

"I don't. Can we just figure out what else we might need to take care of?"

"The house."

"The house," she said with a rueful sigh, "I forgot about that. Damn it. So, on the docket for tonight includes arson and body snatching."

Laughing, Sam shook his head. "Oh awesome. What do you want to take?"

"I'm taking the Sheriff."

"What, still?"

"Gotta cover all our bases Sammy, now more than ever. Besides, now we actually do need someone to distract him while you guys do some work."


	20. Chapter 20

* * *

Dean thumped on his chest as he gave a slight belch after tossing his burger wrapped back in the bag. He had spent the better part of the morning on the trail of Grant Tanner and knew he's more than earned the lunch break. He was beginning to hate that kid. He had followed the handful of leads they had gather combined with any idea he had on where a mopey teenager would hang out.

A headache seemed to be setting in, probably brought on by the frustration of this case. No job was worth it, not when there were dozens of things, he could have been doing rather than being tormented by some kid. The little voice in the back of his head reminded him that wasn't true. There wasn't a job he wasn't willing to take the pain and frustration for to solve. Besides, they had to stop people from getting hurt and they were the only ones who could do it. His brows bumped together, and he scowled when classic rock flooded his thoughts.

He felt a trill of pleasure at the prospect of his favorite redhead on the other end.

"Hey." She said as soon as he picked up.

"Mae." Dean took a moment to tap down his excitement at hearing her voice. He would have liked it if it were a bit sleep laced, maybe a little husky and breathy. He shook the image out of his head and tried to focus on both the real woman and his 'surveillance'." You didn't sleep long."

As she jumped past the pleasantries, Dean realized that Mae did not seem to have the same concentration problem when it came to him. "Blah blah blah. Listen, you need to ditch anything you have with the cuneiform on it."

"Okay." He touched the base of his neck, "why? Don't we need it for comparison or something?"

"Have you come across a lot of it out here in Idaho?" Her question was tinged with both sarcasm and genuine inquisitiveness. But she didn't wait for the response knowing Dean would have called before if he had. She continued. "No. It's a spell; it summoned... someone and seems to amplify whatever the original intent was."

His eyes narrowed. "So, what was the original?"

He listened to her sigh and heard the light clatter of keys as she typed. "Don't know yet but guessing from our behavior, it wasn't something pleasant."

That was an understatement but at least they found something. And it was more luck that he'd had so far. "If we get rid of all that, the spell is over."

"Well… no." He hated when she hesitated. It never meant anything good.

"No? Couldn't you just humor me?"

He would have felt a little better if he could have seen the light smile, she gave before she went on. He wanted to imagine that she still laughed at his jokes. But there was no indication of that on the phone and she was straight down to business. "Getting rid of the spell is going to help cool things down but we still have to deal with what if summoned. So...so it's like half way. Anyway, burn any pictures or printouts you have on you. Me and Sam burned what we have. After that, we have a house and a body to take care of."

"Please tell me you're not saying what I think you're saying."

"I guess that all depends."

Mae could just picture the disgust on his face as he spoke. "We have to steal her body."

"Unless you can charm them into just letting us have it for the day."

"Ugh… it's still...fresh."

"Less so every day, if that helps."

"What an optimist you are, Red."

Despite the distance between them, they both ran their hands through their hair with a heaving breath. "So, what, we break in and steal a corpse from the morgue now?"

"Unless you have a better idea."

Dean's lip curled. "Great, awesome. I didn't want barbeque anytime soon anyway."

Mae's lips quirked. "At least your stomach helps you keep things in perspective."

"Why couldn't her parents have buried he already or better, had her cremated?" Dean mumbled to himself.

Obliged to answer, Mae shrugged. "They're still MIA, according to Sam. Why don't you head back in and we'll go over what we've found."?

"I still haven't found our boy yet."

"For all we know that kid is long gone, and I hate to hit you with this but there's more."

* * *

Back at the motel, he was hoping he would have felt the change now that they were spell-free just as strongly as he had felt everything else. He didn't feel _that_ way, but he also didn't feel any pull of said spell, either to fight with Mae or screw her. Well, not more than usual on the second count, he thought. His chest felt tight looking at her in those first few moments. It made him nearly sick because he knew on his part those feeling had all been real. Amplified.

He looked her over, wishing he would somehow see her differently. Her hair waved lightly over her shoulders, pale skin looking somewhat more flushed than usual. The heat in his veins ran slower but just as hot as when he needed to make her his own. He wanted her but not with a driving and uncontrollable need.

The memory of that feeling still remained but he didn't want to act on it. And he was sure she had no desire to act on it either. She hadn't been in control any more than he had been the night before but now if seemed she might be a little more distant again. Still when she saw him, Mae gave him a wavering smile over the rim of her freshly poured cup of coffee before she drank. He watched her take a seat on one of the beds with her laptop and coffee. His eyes lingered far too long on her he knew but at least she didn't seem to notice.

Dean cleared his throat. "So… I'm here. You two wanna let me in on what happened?"

Sam finally looked up from his computer towards the pair of older hunters. "You didn't tell him."

"I gave him a run down, but I figured it would be easier in person."

Sam shrugged and went back to his research. Dean mirrored the action before he crossed the room to get himself a cup of coffee too. At least he and Mae would always share a love for that sweet caffeine.

"This spell, from what I can gather, summoned Lamashtu—"

"Lama-who?" Dean interrupted, before taking a sip and leaning against the counter.

Mae only cast a very brief look at him before her eyes moved back to her computer. "Mmm, super old Mesopotamian spirit demon, I guess, not quite a ghost, not quite a god but a whole lot of nasty."

"And that's who's causing all of this?"

After asking that, Dean felt antsy all of the sudden like there was nothing for him to do or anywhere for him to be that didn't make him feel awkward. He sat on the bed across from Mae, leaning over to look at whatever she was checking out.

"I don't think so, not alone." Sam chipped in.

"See, Sammy and I didn't have to dig very far to find Pazuzu-"

Dean scrubbed his hand over his face. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me. Where's Linda Blair?"

"I'm guessing our Ms. MacNeil is on that slab in the coroner's office. Anyway, according to lore Lamashtu and Pazuzu are married except if they were married today, you'd totally see them running half naked down an ally on Cops."

Hell, Dean thought, he liked the way her mind worked. She was pretty, funny and smart all at once. He couldn't keep the bemusement off his face but at least she didn't see the look. "They sound charming."

"I believe they are. She's sort of like an uncontrollable path of destruction and he's no ray of sunshine himself. I mean locust and freaky deaky winds… between the two of them we have a pretty clear explanation of what's going on here."

"At least there's that." Dean said, "But where does that leave us.?"

"Not much better off but," Sam added eagerly, "I think maybe we can use them against each other."

"Yeah?"

"Well, me and Mae think it might work."

"Might?" Dean did not like it when both Mae and Sam were guessing. They were supposed to be the brains of the operation.

"I'm all ears if you can one up might." The woman challenged. And because her lips turned with a cynical smiled as she said it, he couldn't stop himself from doing the likewise.

"I just want a little more than might right now."

"We could do absolutely nothing and pretty much let this town and so much more go straight to hell."

A heavy sigh preceded Dean's pacing, drawing concerned glances from both Mae and Sam. They had been tied up in this for enough time to have thought through most of the other options. "Okay then. Did you two bookworms figure out how to use these spirit demons against each other?"

Sam grinned at the predictability of his brother. "That might be our only break because Pazuzu is naturally compelled to throw down with the wife so… we just have to get them together-"

"And hope they do the dirty work for us?"

Mae didn't blame him for being skeptical because she was too, but their options were limited. "I doubt we would be that lucky. But maybe they will incapacitate one or the other so that we can exorcise one of them at a time."

"Your plan sucks."

"Tell me about it." Mae and Sam said together.


	21. Chapter 21

* * *

The unorthodox trio still sat in the boys' motel room; Mae on one bed, Dean across from her on the other bed and Sam seated at the table with his laptop. The younger brother and redhead were both busy trying to find a solution, any solution. And Dean was just watching them, feeling unlike himself. Distracted.

"So, did you find anything?"

Mae had turned her attention back to Dean. Had she asked him more than once? How long had she been watching him?

Dean shook his head.

"This kid's a freakin' Houdini. You know, I feel set up."

She was greatly relieved that when she looked over him, that same hum of need and desire didn't fill her head. How long would that have cycled through the calm, the fighting, the sex? There was an indescribable feeling, a yearning, but it was controllable. It wouldn't cause an outburst or fight. Or worse. When she took a breath, it was with ease and comfort. And for the first time what felt like a long time, she could interact with him the way she had wanted to this whole time.

Still, she almost missed that absolute abandon of all the things that had held her back from being with Dean. There was something liberating in that almost angry, almost hostile sex. Not that she wanted that sort of sexual encounter with him again because there was a lot of fear inherent in that. If she should somehow find the sweet spot between being uninhibited but not so violent or forceful...well, that line of thinking was getting her nowhere. She could feel the heat rise on her cheeks and knew she shouldn't look at Dean in that moment.

"Set up?"

The thought had crossed her mind as well. Probably they had all felt that way on this job. Still she wanted to know Dean's take. He might have been a little more coherent than she had felt lately.

"Yeah. Like, I don't know, a plot or something."

"The kid?" Sam asked, almost surprising Mae and Dean.

He had dissolved into the background for them for the moment. Maybe things weren't back to normal after all. Dean had felt it too whenever he looked at the pale redhead, with pink cheeks. This was a totally different feeling, more like… fascination, maybe obsession. He knew he was almost singularly focused on her. Her hair swept loosely around her shoulders, kissing the smooth skin of her neck along the way. He wanted to do the same thing but was thrown aback when she would shift, and he would see the light bruising from his eager attention the other night. With a shake of his head, Dean tried to clear her from his thoughts.

"I don't know but how is he able to hide so well from us? Even if we haven't been on top of our game, we're not likely to be bested by some snot nosed kid."

It was a good point. There were only a handful of reasons that a young man in a town this size could absolutely disappear. None of them were good. Half of Mae's worry settled on that list while the other half focused on the way her pulse quickened just looking at Dean.

Conceding the point, Mae sighed. "Could be he's not involved at all. We only know he was interested in Angela, in a pretty intense way. Maybe- I mean maybe something happened to him too and we just haven't found his body."

Dean watched the hypnotic sway of her hair when she pushed at it anxiously. He wasn't certain _why_ though. The woman stirred again, and he found himself facing her quite suddenly. Their eyes locked at long last. The tightening sensation in her stomach told Mae it hadn't just been an immature game they had been playing. Now, they were caught in what felt like a dangerous staring contest. What was wrong with her? The remainders of the spell had been cleared from the room. She had even performed a ritual cleansing, piquing the curiosity of Sam Winchester.

For someone who seemed skeptical of his dreams, Sam thought, she certainly had a great deal of faith in other ideas that some might call crazy. However, Sam misunderstood her reaction to his vision. She didn't have some kind of unquestioning faith that what he saw was true or partially true, but she was willing to entertain the notion. It was, after all, his vision that drove her to take 'extra precautions'. Mae's problem was that she did believe Sam, having already managed to check off one part of his vision. What the boys didn't grasp was that no matter the danger to herself, she would do whatever it took to stop whatever was happening. In the process, she was going to try not to get anyone else hurt.

Looking at Dean, caught in the turbulent swirl of passions that bubbled in her throat, she was suddenly unsure about her ability to do so. There was a great deal that could go wrong, and she was very aware of all the ways things could get screwed up.

At least Sam didn't seem to notice their current infatuation with each other. After all, this time they were able to manage both coherent and cordial conversation, so why would the other hunter notice? Together however, Mae and Dean were almost in their own world. She couldn't name it, but she knew it wasn't entirely her nor could it be blamed on any spell.

"Well set up or not, we're here and it's not like we can just leave." Sam said.

Looking away seemed almost impossible so wiping her suddenly sweaty hands on her jeans, she got up to pace, using her whole body to break the eye contact. Dean took the opportunity to take up her spot on the other bed; scrolling through the sites she had open on her laptop. He deliberately drew his gaze away from the lanky redhead. His feelings were not, in his opinion, unbidden. In almost any situation, he would welcome them even act on them. But there was too much going on now, too many questions, and too many issues for that to even be an option. Her pointed words drifted back into his mind. "I'm just pointing out that this whole thing is messed up."

Sam frowned. "That isn't exactly news Dean."

For all her experience dealing with demon in particularly, Mavis was at a loss. This was more complex than anything she'd dealt with so far. Maybe that was because they were dealing with two demons, two demons that had been summoned. From what she'd gathered, the boys hadn't had much personal experience with demons yet. At least their inexperience was more helpful than almost anyone else's.

An unexpected thought crossed her mind; John and Uncle Bobby would be proud, although perhaps for different reasons. The boys really were good hunters, particularly together. It might not have been the life they had always wanted or even what their dad had hoped for, but the man would at least be proud.

Of course, before they proved they could get rid of two spirit demons, they just had to figure out how to bring them out. The pair seemed to be particularly shy since the hunters had rolled into town. There was no lack of evidence those spirit-demons were around and up to no good, but they hadn't seen their antediluvian asses around.

"Well, I might have found an exorcism that will work on Lamashtu."

Mae stopped her pacing as Dean looked up, exasperated scowl on his face. "You mean we have to pull out something special for this bitch?"

The younger two ignored his complaint. Mae moved behind Sam to read the page he found. The frown that etched her delicate face to Dean that not only wasn't she sure about the spell, but she downright didn't like it. It was reassuring to find himself able to read her again even if he had to push the draw he felt. "Well, I guess it's better than nothing but… come on."

"I didn't say it was perfect Mae, but do you have a better idea."

"Not yet. But don'tcha thing we'll have more trouble finding…" Her eyes wandered over the spell, "a black dog, a suckling pig heart and oh yeah a sick child?"

Sam sighed. "We could probably find everything but the kid."

"If we keep getting jacked around, we might have our pick of them." The reality of it was they would. The longer they did nothing, the worse this was going to get. They had the exorcism from Dad's journal, but Dean had the feeling that it might not be sufficient against not one but two demons.

Mae straightened, "I think maybe we can come up with something better. But the figurine part in there, I've come across that too. Whatever we do, I think we need to make one for both of them."

Sam couldn't keep the cynical chuckle from coming out when he turned to look at her over his shoulder. "Because we're such awesome artisans?"

"We'll worry if they take off points for accuracy later. I doubt it matters if it's close. I mean if teen witch can bring them here, I think the three of us can get rid of them."

"That's your plan?" Dean teased even though he was on board with pretty much anything that sounded like it might be remotely successful.

"I'm willing to try anything." Her pacing resumed as she folded her hands under her chin. "Listen, I want to go back to the house."

"Before we torch it?"

"Yeah. You know, that might not be the only option we have. I want to look at that altar in the basement. Someone had to put it there and… it just doesn't fit for me. I can buy someone summoning one, even two freaky demon things by accident or on purpose. I totally get them getting crazy out of control and I can even guy us smack dab in the middle of it. But who is trying to protect someone from it?"

* * *

Sam wanted to go to the library to see if he could dig something more up on their demons or any exorcism, he might be able to find. Against his warning, which came in the form of puppy dog eyes, Mae and Dean were headed off Angela's house.

"You can't just let me drive?" Mae knew the answer, even as she asked it. The narrowing of her eyes told him as much.

"No." Dean grinned down at her brightly.

Their eyes flared, fervently but this time the fire was a battle of wills more than anything else. "Fine."

She glowered as she reluctantly agreed. Mae didn't like the idea of letting her car out of her sight nor did she particularly want Dean to drive it. She wanted to drive, that was why she worked alone. But that was somewhat pig-headed Mae decided. And because the man was being stubborn himself, she decided she would let this one go.

Turning on her booted heel, she tromped over to Sam who was adorably trying to keep out of the fray by staying near her car. His hunkered shoulders straightened a bit when she approached him, but he still wore a deer in the headlights look on his handsome face.

"You know how to drive stick right?"

He nodded.

"…fine. If I find one scratch or ding or-"

He interrupted her with a laugh. "Do you remember who I grew up with? I know the honor of your car hangs on my head. You'll kill me if anything happens to it. I know and I'll be careful."

Her fist was clenched tightly around her keys before she breathed out a defeated breath and unlocked the hatch of her classic car. "Your brother would never let me kill you, maim you a little but never kill you."

"That somehow doesn't reassure me."

"Good then."

After rummaging around in the back of her car and closing the hatchback, she produced a bag and slung it over her shoulder.

Sam snickered when he caught a glance of what looked distinctly like a craft supply bag. Jess had used something similar for her scrap booking. He couldn't picture the redheaded hunter browsing for acid free paper or crinkle cut scissors. "Planning to do some scrap booking?"

"Don't judge a book by its cover. This bag makes me one badass bitch."

Again, he laughed, "I got that part."

"Not one scratch." She repeated before dropping the keys in his hand.

Sam responded with a mock salute.

* * *

"You okay?"

It wasn't her voice but the light touch of her hand to his shoulder. Dean opened his eyes to find Mae leaning into the open window of his door. Her eyes were on him, concerned. He hadn't heard her footfalls as she left Sammy with her car. How long she had been watching him was anyone's guess.

"I'm fine, Red. You get what you need?"

He wasn't getting off the hook that easily. "Right. Wanna try again?"

"Just a headache, that's all."

The pained expression or the way he pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes didn't seem like a simple headache to her. "Well, do you want me to drive you to the hospital or do you think you can get over it?"

Her pretty steel blue eyes twinkled now with a hint of mirth as she squeezed his shoulder lightly. To be honest, he didn't feel all that great, but he had no plans on telling that. Maybe it was pride, maybe it was embarrassment, but he wanted to have at least a thread of dignity left with her.

"I'm okay, really."

Her smile was hesitant, but she put it on for him. "You know, I think we shouldn't disregard how we're feeling. We've been trying to ignore it the whole time, but it seems like it might be… well it might be key to what's happening to us. I mean, we're sure not feeling normal, are we?"

"The thought had crossed my mind."

"And here I thought you were just another pretty face."

"All the same, this is just a headache. Nothing more. I'll take some aspirin and I'll be good as new."

When Mae didn't move, he sighed. "Sweetheart, unless you're gonna offer me a date, you might want to get in the car. Wait, you'll look more like a hooker that way. Ow!"

The annoyance of the headache was temporarily lessened when Mae flicked his ear. She walked around to the front of the car and got in. "I don't think you could afford me. Besides if I'm a prostitute, you look like a john now." She mumbled.

"I don't even get a discount for being handsome?"

"I don't think you get how hookers work."

The arch of his eyebrow earned him light smack to the chest. "You're certainly grew up to be a hit-y woman."

"I was clearly raised wrong." She said, closing the door. "I thought I'd be feeling... more normal by now."

"We haven't cleared out all the spell stuff yet. But it's getting better, isn't it?"

"It needs to get all the way better."

"We're on it."

Dean was right; there was little to do to help him, but she wished she could. "Well then, let's kick this bitch and get back to normal."

"That is by far your best idea lately." Without much thought, she laughed again. "What?" he asked.

"You know what, Dean? I don't want to have sex with you."

The startling amount of cheer in her announcement took him by surprise. So much so that he was more shocked than hurt by it. "Um… I gotta tell you, a good-looking girl has never told me that. Is that a compliment?"

"In this case, yeah. This is pretty much the first time I haven't wanted to fight you or fuck you. I was getting worried that Sam might be right, and I'd end up killing you."

"Wow those Catholic school nuns really hammered home that whole sex kills lecture, didn't they?"

Laughing, she opened up the bag she had retrieved earlier. "I'm pretty sure they meant it would kill me, outside the sanctity of marriage. Not that I'd kill people I slept with. Although, they weren't very clear on it. Or I wasn't paying attention."

"Yeah, 'cuz you were cutting class to hook up with me."

"All the same, I don't want to sleep with you, and I don't want to kill you. So that's a good thing for now."

Pulling out of the parking lot, he cast a glance over at her as she pulled out a few glass bottles to examine them before putting them back. "You're not gonna kill me, Red."

Because she had the exact opposite feeling, she didn't look back at him. "You believe that?"

"Yeah."

"You believe Sam too."

"Yeah."

"I don't think you can both be right."

"Well we are."

"Dammit!" She cursed after the car had fallen into a rather reluctant silence.

"What's wrong Maeby?

"I need an envelope."

"An envelope? What exactly do you have going on over there?"

"When you're dealing with witches, you need to fight fire with fire. I wanted to get some dirt from the house."

Dean shrugged, reaching over to open the glove box. "Try your luck."

With an agreeable hum in the back of her throat, she searched the small compartment for an envelope.

"What is this?"

He looked over at whatever it was she dug out of the glove box and clammed up. "Nothing."

"Nothing? " It clearly wasn't 'nothing'; for the first time, it occurred to her that in the 8 years between now, and the last time they had truly known anything about each other that he could have had an entire life. The picture she held was suggested as much "It's kinda weird, you know, two dudes of… questionable orientation drivin' 'round with kid's drawings in the glove box. Weird."

He knew she was joking but still…."Questionable orientation? You should be the last person to question sweetheart."

The both knew that the issue was important to the other because of the joking. "Yeah well, my question is mostly about the drawing."

"Just a job, a kid… drew that for me."

"Oh my god you're such a softy."

"Shut up."

Mae didn't attempt to hide the wistful smile because she found herself both touched and relieved that it wasn't something _his_ kid drew for him. "Aww… okay I'll admit it's cute."

"Shut up."

Nervously, she looked back at him only to find that he was blushing beet red and overly focused on the road ahead of them. "What, there's nothing wrong with you being a sensitive guy."

"Will you just shut up?"

She did, there was no point in pushing him farther than he was willing to be teased. Mae smiled to herself. Sometimes the big picture got in the way she realized. They never would have normal lives and they probably wouldn't seek them out anyway. What they wanted was normal moments, little bits of peace and happiness. She folded the picture back up carefully and put it away. And when she found the envelope in there, she hoped it was a sign that their luck might be changing.

"Are we okay?" Dean finally asked, "I mean really. Considering the other night... and everything else..."

Mae didn't want to talk about this yet. She had been hoping Dean shared her desire to ignore everything. It had made the tension dissipate and that was all that mattered to her right then. "Yeah, we're okay."

"I think we need to actually talk about it. We've been circling around what happened and... it isn't something we should just gloss over."

She sighed. "I'm not glossing over anything. There's just… it's complicated."

Dean wasn't sure what she meant by that. What exactly didn't he know and how did that play into their angry sex? He knew he couldn't ask her about that right out, she wouldn't answer him. But he still wondered if she considered it a violation. "That's exactly what I'm talking about. If I… that's not my idea of normal sex."

"Well, mine either but...is that the part that's bothering you? The sex?"

"It's not bothering you?"

"Not...not like that."

"Really because it kinda seems like... I mean... listen, you said you didn't want it. So, did I go too far? Did I actually..."

"No. You didn't go too far. We went too far but I know if you weren't. Does that make sense?"

"Not really because a lot of it really was... I wanted you. I think I might still want you."

"You wanna pull over and we'll go at it?"

"No. Unless you do. I mean, that wouldn't be too weird, would it?"

"It would be super weird, and I don't want to sleep with you right now. Which is why you're not pulling over and trying, right?"

"Of course. But the other night..."

"As much as either of us were in control or not, I don't think you'd try to hurt me. I don't think you would want to hurt me. And you didn't hurt me, for the record. You-we just... got our asses kicked by this spell, okay?"

"But there's still something wrong, something that you're uncomfortable with."

"Not because we slept together. Not because... If that were going to happen with anyone, I'd rather it be you. At least...I know that you're not a cruel person and… I'm oddly not upset about it. It's… it's something else."

"What?"

She shook her head. "I really don't want to talk about it, alright? Can you just let me keep something to myself?"

"You said this was a big deal. If… this is going to sound selfish, but I don't want to turn around and have you said I raped you."

The word sounded so harsh when he said it aloud. She knew he was tiptoeing around it just as she was. It didn't feel like rape. For the purposes of his question thought she knew in her heart that he hadn't forced her at all. "You didn't and I won't. I know the difference okay."

"You know the difference? What does that mean?" His throat tightened at that particular thought.

"It just means that… amplification. This spell amplifies things that are already there. In an ideal world, you and me would... not have angry or violent motel sex without even checking in with each other... maybe there's some see in there between being horny and mad with each other. So... you weren't the only one who wanted... rough sex last night."

"Really? Because-"

Her temper was rising just a bit. "For the last time, yes."

"Do you… still want that?"

Just like that, her temper turned into something between distaste and amusement. "You're such a man sometimes, you know that."

"Just sometimes? Didn't you call me a girl 5 minutes ago?"

"Well that's why I say sometimes. But no, not like that. I don't like...I at least like to know whoever I'm with is okay with being me the way we're being together and vice versa."

"Yeah. I mean, me too. I feel like I should say sorry, all the same."

"It's not your fault, you know? If anything, we were both used by this...whatever, either the demons or the spell...we were just a means to an end. I think, anyway."

The fell back into silence but Dean still had questions. He wanted, no he needed to know if it was really okay. He got the feeling that she kept pushing him back on that issue because she felt uncomfortable. He didn't exactly know how to talk to her about it either. It was like walking into a mind field.

After another 10 minutes, this time in more uncomfortable silence, they pulled up in front of the house. Without provocation, Mae put her foot up on the dash. Before he got the protest out, she pushed the leg of her jeans out of the way and slid the boot knife out of its holster. "Here."

Holding it by the blade, she handed him the knife.

"What's this for?"

"I don't want to stab you."

"I have a feeling that's not the only blade you pack."

"No but it's my favorite. If I were going to stab you, it would be with that one."

"That's… oddly reassuring." He took the knife from her hand, turning and examining the blade in his hands. He wasn't sure why but there was something he liked about how well armed she was, that she knew her weapons.

"I meant what I said; I don't want to fight with you, I don't always want to feel like there's some big obstacle between us being friends and I certainly don't want to hurt you. I never have."

He looked over at the slim redhead as she lowered her leg. Dean knew she was sincere.


	22. Chapter 22

 

* * *

At the library, Sam had a much larger set of resources to review and find what he was looking for. It also gave him some time to think. As he reflected, he found it odd and a little enviable when Mae and Dean fell into those moments of easy intimacy, where they were almost unguarded around each other and nothing stopped them. Sam felt like he was intruding on the closeness the two found from time to time. He might have been wrong about his brother. It had been known to happen, he thought.

Dean and Mae had a unique bond, strangely enough. He wasn't sure that he could have felt the same way about a woman who had slept with their dad. Dean seemed to be able to ignore much of that. Or he tried. His brother truly wanted the woman to be a part of his life. Sam knew he didn't have the full story on that. There were a lot of things that Sam didn't know when it came to Mae and she seemed to know about far more than she told them. Still, Dean and Mae were well suited toward each other in some strange ways.

When they weren't fighting or acting out that decade old hurt, Sam almost resented his brother for being able to connect with someone, on a genuinely honest level. Even with all their problems, Dean and Mae had the potential to be totally honest with each other, something he had never found. And maybe they could be happy.

He almost jumped out of his chair with the excitement of his discovery. He couldn't keep the quiet but vocalized 'yes' all the same. That charm Mae had found on the bundle of herbs in the basement, unidentified until he started digging, was in fact a little Pazuzu fetish. That was probably the best news he had received all day. That was something they could use. At least there was that.

Oddly enough, he realized he wanted to prove to Mae his merit. It wasn't that she had disapproved of him or anything he had dug up, but he still felt to show her he was right. She hadn't out and out told him that she didn't believe him about his dreams but her refusal to listen spurned his desire for her to take him seriously.

Perhaps hunting with his brother had spoiled him because even if Dean didn't believe him or understand, he always listened to and backed him. He knew he could count on Mae in the clutch and she would hear him out, just not with the same… unwavering faith. That might have been too much to ask though. After all, Dean was his brother and Mae was something else entirely. Either way, the first thing they had to tackle was finishing this job.

* * *

In the car, Dean watched her go through the large bag with its many compartments with a great deal of concern. "Are you… a witch too?"

Mae didn't even look up as she shifted figure candles, bags of herbs, soil, what he assumed were cat bones. He hoped they weren't something more because he was already uncomfortable enough as it was when it came to her little kit. "You think I have something to do with this if I am?"

He had wanted flat out denial not subterfuge. "No! It's just that, Mae… you know that's… witches are always… I can't believe-"

A hint of laughter interrupted his broken tirade. "Dude, either finish a sentence or wait for my actual answer."

"I thought your answer was yes."

"My answer is no, with the caveat that things aren't so black and white."

His sigh was filled with disappointment. He wanted dearly for her to be… just a normal girl. Or at least a normal hunter. "Because clearly witches aren't a huge pain in our ass right now."

"Witch or not, that's the job. Evil comes in a lot of guises Dean. You know that."

"Yeah I guess… but…"

She completed her task and looked back at him. "The salt, tiger's eye, almost any herb we use, all it could be summed up as some kind of witchcraft."

"Don't you think… you should be careful?"

Mae could understand his reluctance. While they hadn't dealt with a large number of witches in the past, the ones they had come across had not been easy to handle. Although that understanding only went so far. There was a great deal about hunting that she was sure John had kept from his boys, a lot they didn't know yet. But she had been exposed to a great deal more in their time apart. "You don't think I'm careful?"

"I just don't want you to get in too deep."

The tight-lipped smile she offered didn't do much to reassure him but what she said next almost did. "Yeah, if I'm not careful, I'll end up dealing with a bunch of demons and evil spirits."

With that, the two got out of the car. As they walked up the path to the house, Mae got the distinct feeling they were being watched. Dean lead the way up to the door. Mae glanced around trying to pinpoint the source of her concern. Maybe she would have felt it earlier if they hadn't been so distracted by their affairs beforehand. Luckily, it appeared that no one had tampered with the house, no one other than them at any rate.

Still… she felt a distinct shiver run down her spine. Instinct told her there was _something_ wrong but what she could not say. It was obvious to Dean as well when he turned back to look at her. Worry and scrutiny washed over her angular features and most notably in her stone-gray eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Her gaze focused back on Dean, realizing he was braced for a fight without any prodding from her. He must have felt the same invisible eyes on him. Or maybe he was willing to just take her lead.

"I'm not sure."

"Don't go and psych yourself out. It's just a house."

Mae wanted to believe him, if he could be right on this, she would be so thankful. But she didn't think they would be so lucky. 'Don't be pessimistic' she warned herself. It could quite possibly be an inconsequential trip to just a regular house. "Yeah, right. Right."

His hand clapped over her shoulder with firm reassurance. "I promise, it's fine. I'll keep you safe."

As her eyes drifted towards his hand and then back up to his face with an incredibly dubious brow raise, he knew he had overstepped his bounds. "Really? I'm a big girl here."

A slight swell of embarrassment cropped up when he realized that he might have been treating her more like a girl than a hunter. His hand dropped awkwardly to his side and he went back to picking the lock of the door. "Well… old habits."

While he thought she was offended, she found the gesture both endearing and heartening, not that she would tell him. There was a fine line between that and Dean's full on overbearing protectiveness. She didn't need him to protect her but appreciated part of his impulse to look out for her. Behind his back, she let herself smirk ever so slightly.

Stepping inside the house, she braced herself against a shiver. It was, she told herself, just the acclimation between the downright cold air inside the house and the heat outside. The rain had once again given way to climbing temperatures. According to the news, the unprecedented heat wave appeared to be sticking around for the near future. Mae hoped that wouldn't be true much longer.

Dean watched the woman intently, perhaps too intently as he tried to pinpoint when, if at all, something might change. This was really the first test of their spell theory. Of course, he wouldn't exactly be able to tell if he too were under the effects of the spell. Still, he watched her. He waited.

"Dude, do you think I'm going to sprout a second head or something?"

He opened his mouth to refute but realizing that he almost was he closed it again.

With a tilt of her head, she consented to the unspoken agreement. They were both waiting for something to happen. Would it be a fight, or would it be carnal? "It would almost be better than wondering though wouldn't it?"

"Truth be told, no."

That strange obvious honesty that Dean seemed to excel at had her smiling unexpectedly. "Well, I don't feel like I did before so… maybe we were wrong."

Out of annoyance more than anything, he ran a hand through his short hair. "I wish you didn't say that like you regretted it."

"I think it's probably a far worse problem if the spell was cast to do exactly what we've done so far, don't you?"

The woman had a point, a good point and he found himself wanting to say something or do something to prove her wrong. But he came up empty. "So, what's your interest here sweetheart?"

"Couple of things. Let's look at the room. Separately, unless you want a repeat of the other night."

"Well that question is pretty much a loaded gun between my eyes now isn't it?" The lanky redhead just shrugged. Dean found himself pacing in the entryway as he thought this thing through. "I had an unsettling thought Mae."

"More unsettling than most of them?"

Stopping, he had to face her, gauge her reaction to his idea. "If you didn't notice, after we screwed, we stopped fighting."

She had wondered the same thing, not so much because of what was going on between them but how she felt around him. "What's your point?"

"That spell was all over our rooms before and after that but only after were things better so maybe _that_ was the spell."

Mae took a breath as she turned back to Dean. Her frown was poignant as she considered what he said. It made her stomach do flips. Because she knew she couldn't hide the fact that she thought he was right or what she thought that meant in the grand scheme of things, she turned away from him. "You think this is some kind of...beyond messed up sex spell? But why?"

"You need to ask why some teen witch would set loose a sex spell?"

"First of all, I'm still not convinced she did. But maybe someone did...and they way overshot that goal."

"I don't know, I … think there's a connection. And I think you do too Mae."

Pulling herself together now, she let herself laugh bitterly. "Wouldn't that just be fitting?"

"Actually, the fitting part would be if you slept with Sam."

The off-handed comment, meant as a joke, caught her harshly. She turned on her heel, looking at him with an expression he could only qualify as wounded. The casual tone in his voice and almost teasing grin on his face made her stomach roll. All at once, he was transported back to standing face to face with one of his worse fears.

Once in a blue moon did that look run over her face and he felt like he was standing in front of that scrawny redheaded 6-year-old again. She had, more than once, tricked him with her quivering lip as she tried to staunchly hold back tears, then she would kick him. And when they were growing up, he always fell for it and he always tried to placate her somehow. It was more understated now but there was no denying she was hurt. He was waiting for the boot to his shin now. "Mae-"

She cut him off with a raised hand. "I'm going to the basement."

He knew without question that he had tread on very delicate ground he should have avoided. He had no idea it was such a touchy subject for her. A part of him thought that she took the situation all in stride, no more meaningful than any one-night stand he'd had. Clearly, Dean realized, he was wrong. With a sigh, his head fell back a little, perhaps petitioning whatever powers that would listen for just a little help in making things easier.

There had been a nice moment; a few of them before he'd opened his big mouth and he would have rather pissed her off than hurt her feelings. "Damn it, Dean. You couldn't keep your mouth shut?" He muttered to himself.


	23. Chapter 23

* * *

Mae made her way towards the basement altar. When she heard Dean's solid footsteps head towards and then up the stairs, she stopped. Leaning against the frame of the entry to the kitchen, she pinched the bridge of her nose. It shouldn't have mattered, she thought. It didn't matter, she told herself. Whatever she was or might have been once, she was a hunter through and through. Bad things happened to… well they happened to hunters. She could hardly get upset about this. The mistake was letting Dean see that.

Maybe he was joking because he was actually just fine with things now. Maybe it had moved past forgiveness and he'd settled on acceptance. Maybe. She didn't know. Maybe he was teasing her as more of a cruel jab, pointing out a failure of hers simply to distance himself from the situation. Maybe it didn't mean anything. Maybe he as just pointing out that in terms of causing the most havoc, that would have been the best way between the three of them.

It took a few deep breaths before she was totally assured that she wouldn't cry. Being any more emotional over this in front of Dean would be embarrassing. It might have been more prudent to have done this with the other brother. That would have been what smart people would have done. There wasn't even a hint of anger or attraction between them and she only found him mildly annoying because he was so nosy. Instead she walked into this with a man who left her emotions swinging wild. She and Dean did not seem to be out of the woods yet.

Before she reached the basement, she happened to look up out the kitchen window and sucked in a sharp breath of air, as if she had been sucker punched. That strange woman from her dreams, the same one she thought she had seen in the groove of trees when she was with Sam was standing there. It seemed a bit too real to be a hallucination.

She wondered not if, but how, the woman was connected to this mystery. Could it be this was one of their spirit demons? It wasn't remotely what she pictured. It would make sense though. Mae opened her mouth but couldn't think of a thing to say nor find her voice. In the next instant, the woman was gone.

She shook her head and closed her eyes. "I'm going crazy. And now I'm talking to myself. Pull it together Singer."

When she opened them, again she found herself some place strange. Panic would have set in about then except while her vision was altered, she knew she was still in the kitchen. She could feel the cool smoothness of the wood door frame under her hand. It smelled the same as the house. The only change was in what she was looking at. That didn't mean she was feeling particularly sane. She found herself caught up in a very familiar scene.

A shuttering feeling passed over her as she watched something that she was sure she wouldn't forget. It was so vivid, and she felt as if she were both watching it the scene unfolded while participating in it all at the same time.

A much younger Mae and Dean were sitting in that old tree house Bobby had once let them build. How old were they that summer? The sun was setting, and the warm summer night had even given way to the flickering glow of a few fireflies. Their legs dangled over the side as the young man took scooted close and closer to her at a snail's pace.

As she watched all of this unfurl, she was struck with not just how awkward she was but also how self-conscious Dean was. The whole scene was adorable, in retrospect. She could still feel how nervous she had felt in that moment.

"Mae?"

"What?"

"I… can I, I mean… I'd like to kiss you, if that's okay?"

Squirming away from him, she laughed awkwardly. "W-what?"

"Can I kiss you?" He asked with more determination this time, sliding close to her again.

"You want to kiss me? Why? You've probably kissed a lot of girls."

"Right now, I really want to kiss you."

As she watched as an adult, she shook her head. Even noticeably nervous, Dean was a charmer. The young Mae shook her head too, licking her lips as she tried to think of all the reasons to tell him no. Part of her wanted to tell him yes. There wasn't another boy she had ever liked as much as Dean or really known as well as him. "Why would you want to kiss me?" She whispered softly.

Dean slid closer to her on the steps, easing his arm over her shoulder. He brushed her hair out of her face as he did so. Leaning in, grinned a little and looked into her eyes. "Because, you're beautiful and I really like you Mae."

Her stomach gave a distinct tremble as he gazed at her with those magnetic hazel green eyes. "Okay I guess."

Then he frowned. "Don't you want to kiss me?"

"I… I've never kissed anyone before."

His smile came back quickly after and he leaned in close. "Me either."

"I don't believe you."

At the time, Mae had her doubts but as she relived the even now, she truly did believe him. For all his bluster, the 14-year-old Dean was not the player she had assumed he was yet.

"I'd never lie to you Maeby. You're my best friend."

Dean let his fingers run through her shoulder length hair with a certain delicacy she had not expected from him, from any boy his age. Maybe it was the slight tremble in his hand as he tucked her hair behind her ear or the openness in his eyes, but she found herself more excited than frightened by his proposal.

"You're my best friend too."

He took hold of her hand as he leaned in to kiss her. It took an eternity until his lips touched hers. Whatever Mae expected to happen when he kissed her, she wasn't sure. There weren't any fireworks or breath-taking moments, but she felt her heartbeat pick up and she knew she wanted to kiss him again and again. It was nice and she felt safe with him, more than usual.

As suddenly as the vision had filled her mind, it was gone, leaving her with an unsettling warmth in the pit of her stomach. She didn't want to think of him like that anymore. It was impossible to vilify him for anything he had done to hurt her. Even if she tried, she knew she didn't really feel that way.

Why that particular memory popped into her head was beyond her. The way she experienced it was unlike anything she had ever witnessed before. Perhaps it was because she was trying to think as little about what she and Dean had once had or how much she had once felt for him. Had she really changed that much? He had kissed her that night in the tree house when she was twelve, her first kiss and she had been in love with him ever since. That girl could never have realized how screwed up things would get after that simple, sweet kiss.

"Hell. I really am going nuts" She muttered, dragging her hands through her hair.

* * *

Back upstairs, Dean ran his hand over the ancient script on the wall. He wanted the ability to blame hurting her feelings on all of this, but he knew that would have just been convenient. It shouldn't have mattered, she shouldn't have mattered the way she did.

The only thing he realized was that no reason he could think of to justify writing her off mattered. He couldn't divorce his old feelings for her from the woman now. And he loved her. She had been his perfect girl, once. He wasn't sure what that mean currently. Moreover, that was not helping him at all now. All of his feelings, positive and negative, were standing in the way.

When he said it would be fitting if she had screwed Sam, he meant it more as a statement of their luck in this situation, not an accusation that he thought that's what she wanted. He knew that they hadn't slept together and knew that they didn't really want to either. Now, that wouldn't have stopped this particularly spell from catching them up in its influence. If it did, would he blame either of them? He wasn't sure. It wouldn't have been an ideal situation but, given enough time, he thought he could probably get over it.

Being in that room now however, he was beginning to doubt that the spell was behind their odd behavior. He felt neither swing of emotion for her or towards her. He tried. He tried to focus on everything that had made him feel any negative emotion for her. Nothing. And then he tried lust with mixed results, to both his excitement and dismay.

Oddly, he found himself unable to recall most of the details of the other night. The sensations, the feelings, all of that was clear but he way she looked, the way she felt, the way she sounded escaped him. That was something he wasn't particularly eager to forget. If he had to remember any of it, he wanted to recall the more pleasurable parts. It tarnished the memory of her. The woman, the girl he had fallen in love with really, represented a wholesomeness that seemed like it might be gone forever. It didn't have anything to do with sex, but he realized that something had changed in her, maybe something was a little broken or missing and he didn't know what it was. He wasn't sure who he blamed more for sullying that light she had; his father or himself.

When Mae came into the room, he let himself take her in. She was too skinny, he decided, and she looked a bit too tired lately. Dean couldn't be certain, but he thought she looked paler, a bit fretful but only for a moment. Despite the guarded expression she wore, he tried to find something to confirm his feelings. He needed to fix whatever had gone wrong. "Hey Red, I didn't me-"

She cut him off again with a curt shake of her head. "You don't have to say anything. I get what you meant. It just… you know it's fine. Can we?" She swept her hand out, indicating the walls.

After a moment of consideration, he nodded. "Check this out, it's just wallpaper. If we tear enough of it, maybe that's enough to break the spell."

The hunter crossed the room, running her hand over the symbols the same way he had. Her head turned to the side to look at him, much prettier in his opinion when she regarded him approvingly. "That's actually a good idea."

"I've had a few."

Her lips turned in a small smile, small but genuine, the kind that reached those all too large eyes of hers and he felt a morsel of relief. Mae set her bag on the bed and joined Dean in front of one of the walls.

"What do you suppose will happen when we do this?"

"Judging from the rest of our time here, either nothing or something horrible."

"You sure know what to say to make a girl happy."

Dean shrugged as he started picking at the edge of a panel. He gave a half glower when she took a small but noticeable step back as he tore a small section of paper off the wall. It wasn't until he crumpled the paper in his hand that she stepped closer to him again.

"What was that?"

"Self-preservation."

"You thought that would help?"

"Couldn't hurt, could it?" She said as she took a section of the paper herself.


	24. Chapter 24

* * *

What started as a slow venture, with Mae and Dean destroying the text of the spell on the wall had sped up as they fell into a better rhythm to remove the wallpaper. Both hunters worked in silence, caught up in thought. The longer they worked without incident however, the warier they became, however. Nothing was ever this easy for them, and that was a stretch considering how difficult the road had been up until now. The further they went, the more uneasy Mae felt. It was that same feeling of disassociation she'd felt before. But there was no phantom crone and she didn't experience any sort of flashback. She just felt dizzy.

She had to stop her task for a moment as another wave hit her. Something was definitely wrong, she thought.

The next thing Mae knew she was on the floor, Dean's typically relaxed face pulled into angles with worry. She realized, somewhat shaken by it, that he was cradling her, brushing her hair out of her face. As if his touch burned her, she tried to push him away. "Get off me, man."

If it weren't for the odd dizziness, she would have rolled away and sprung to her feet. Not that she didn't try. The resulting action was lurching and flailing and potentially embarrassing. He didn't seem to care about her poorly planned escape, he gathered her back in his arms and just held her. "Hey, hold steady there Mae."

"I'm okay."

Once again, she moved to break away from his hold, but it only tightened further, sternly and forcefully. Other than his firm grip on her, he gave no other indications of anything but concern. "You fainted."

There was just a hint of a smirk in his statement, not particularly derisive but just slightly teasing. At least he had the good sense not to laugh at her outright, she thought. Her face pulled into a pout for a moment before she tried to make it more neutral. "I did not faint."

"Fine. You hit the floor like a freshman rushing a sorority."

"I'm fine."

He helped her into a sitting position, still cautious. "I have a hunch you're not."

Shaking her head, she pushed herself up. This time, she tried to move more gingerly, not wanting to further embarrass herself or worse yet, pass out in front of Dean again. He didn't force her one way or the other but refused to leave her side, even when she felt steadier on her feet.

"Is it hot in here?"

"What?"

"The room, it's really hot all of the sudden."

"Yeah, you look flushed."

Mae pressed her hand against her chest. It felt like intoxication, without any of the fun parts, and she was less and less sure she would be easily recovered. She leaned on him, his embrace tightening more to compensate and support her frame. "Dean?"

"Tell me what's wrong?"

"I don't- I don't know. Maybe I need-"

Her statement was cut off when the house began to tremble. At first, Mae thought it was just her, but Dean grabbed her arms just as tightly as she grabbed his. The exchanged troubled looks, waiting to see if there was more earth shaking to come or if it were over. They stood hanging on to each other for several minutes as they waited.

Nothing more happened during their silent anticipation. Lightheaded, the redhead rocked a bit, not quite fainting but certainly close. Dean didn't hesitate in trying to stabilize her as she wavered. "Maybe you should stop."

"No. I'm fine. We can't live this half done."

"I can finish."

"Faster with two."

You sure?"

She shook her head. "What does it matter?"

"A lot. I-"

"We need to finish this and then worry about the rest."

He frowned, wanting to make her wait somewhere safe while he finished removing the rest of the spell. But he didn't know if there was anywhere safe and there was no way of knowing if he'd be next or if anything more would happen to Mae. He also knew she was right; even if something more happened, they needed to deal with this spell first. It could get much worse if they left things half way done. They still had a body to dispose of before they were done with this part.

"Maybe you should sit down, okay?"

An indignant feeling and a protest and that he might be babying her because she was a woman died on her tongue. At the end of the day, she knew Dean could care less about her gender so much as how she could do the job. And right now, the only reason he wasn't throwing her out of the room for not being able to do it was because he wasn't sure what would happen next.

"I'm fine," was what she managed to say.

Taking her by the shoulders, he steered her back to the bed. "Sit."

He pushed her down to the mattress despite the murderous glint in her eye. "Sit?"

"Until you can promise me you won't fall on your ass again, you're gonna sit right here."

Because he knew her, he kept the firm pressure on her shoulders until her knew she wasn't going to fight back. As he took in her defiant yet somehow timid expression, his softened. "I really don't like this, Mae."

She shrugged or would have if not for his hands still holding her in place. There was little she had genuinely like about this job. Even coming here at his request, she had felt nervous and uncomfortable, completely out of her depth. And yet… she came, she stayed, and she couldn't shake the feeling that Dean was trying to fix things. So, she gave him a weary sigh. " You seem fine. You haven't passed out."

He glanced over the room. "I know. Why not?"

Not that she had an abundance of time to do so but she hadn't considered that. Until now, they had both been more or less affected by the spell, in more or less the same way. No good reason came to her mind why this might be different. At least not any that were pleasant. Unless, of course, they were both experiencing the same thing. "Because you're so butch?"

At times like this, it was best just to ignore her goading, her sense of humor to get to the point he was trying to make. "I don't want to touch a nerve or something but this spirit or demon or whatever doesn't seem to like women and... well, you are one."

"Well gee, I guess that explains the genitalia."

He let his hands fall from her shoulders, lest he start trying to shake some sense into her. "I'm serious."

She closed her eyes, trying to reign in her natural sarcasm. "Okay, I know. But if this thing has a grudge against women. in general, or me, in particular, that's all the more reason we don't waste our time chitchatting. I promise I'll sit right here until I feel a little more stable. Does that pass your overprotective test?"

"For now."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm not about to blackout if that's your question."

"No, I mean...do you feel like you're running fever? Or like you're drunk? Or seeing things?"

"Seeing things?"

"I thought I read something about that...but, are you? Any of those things?" She asked again, hoping he wouldn't probe any deeper because she wasn't sure if she'd lie any more to him or not.

"I'm not feeling anything like that."

"Well, good."

True to her word, she stayed seated. Dean couldn't tell if it was because she was actually listening to him or if she truly felt that awful. He knew that answer before he had even finished the thought. Mae wouldn't sit this out if she felt like she wouldn't pass out. He had gone back to his half-completed task of removing wallpaper while she sat watching him. "Will you level with me on something?"

"Depends."

Dean cleared his throat. "Alright, I guess. Will you at least tell me if you're not feeling…right?"

The long pause between his question and her reply convinced him that she was trying to think up a clever way to tell him no. "I haven't been feeling right since I got here. I don't know that any assessment I could give you would mean anything."

"I really didn't mean to get you into all this?"

She scoffed. "Dean, _you_ didn't get me into anything. I got me into this. You're just… here too. You should stop blaming yourself for things that aren't your fault."

Between the strips of paper, he pulled from the wall, letting them fall into the growing pile, the hunter shook his head. "I called you. If Sam and I had just done this on our own… none of this would have happened."

Even as she opened her mouth to comment, they house shook. The windows rattled with growing ferocity and Mae sprung to her feet. Dean however moved in front of her, blocking her from whatever might be happening. With a piercing shriek, the window exploded. Glass and splintering wood flew towards the pair as the wind whipped around them. Then, painfully, they were both flung forcefully back. Pinned to the walls as a terrible wind whipped around them, they fought against the invisible force. The wind in the room kept the debris airborne, thrashing with tiny stinging lashes against their exposed skin.

Closing her eyes, Mae discovered that the sharp impact of her body against the wall was nothing compared to the burn that flooded her body as she was drawn away from the wall. Unable to move her body even to scream, she knew she was suspended midair. She could have sworn she was on fire, from the inside out, every nerve in her body crying out with a sharp furry. And then, it was gone.

Once again, she found herself pinned but this time on the floor under Dean. With great caution, she opened her eyes. The room was still, damaged but still. The breath she took was ragged and harsh. It felt like she had never held her breath that long and while her lungs were tender, it was a great relief to feel her body again. But Mavis would soon realize that was the highlight of her day.


	25. Chapter 25

* * *

Dean wasn't entirely sure what had happened, but he suddenly found himself somewhere else, although it was incredibly familiar.

Mae was skinny, hovering on that edge between scrawny. He supposed on some level, she was pretty; red hair cut into a bob that she typically wore messy and big eyes, almost cartoonish in their setting with her pale, petite features. He didn't like her. Dean recalled that clearly as he found himself reliving a long-buried memory.

The girl was a brat, only no one else seemed to see it. How could they not? She had a despicable habit of kicking him in the shin, moments before Dad or Uncle Bobby would come in the room, moments before he would try to get back at her and he'd get yelled at for picking on Mae. The rest of the time she was shy.

At first, she wouldn't even talk to him or Dad. She would whisper things in her uncle's ear and she would play with Sammy, evidently judging him no threat. But she regarded the older two Winchesters with a skepticism that seemed out of place on the face of a 6-year-old. She gave Dean and John the same hostile look, only she did it covertly to the patriarch and openly to Dean.

It was clear the girl wasn't used to strangers and was certainly dissatisfied to have them in her home. He'd only met Bobby once before and he seemed like a nice enough guy. Dad told them they could trust him, but Dean decided would be the judge of that. However, of all the things he assumed about the guy, having that little six-year-old redhead clinging to his leg wasn't one of them.

Dean shook his head. He knew it was a memory however it had felt far more realistic than he could have anticipated. He knew it wasn't real but damned if he had been able to recall their first meeting with that sort of sharp clarity of detail. The moment hadn't lasted long but it unnerved him more than he would admit.

In the few seconds, he'd spent indulging the vivid traces of the past, Mae started coming around. At least she didn't feel dizzy any longer. Of course, she felt the sharp pounding of what could be a concussion and the compliant of her body over the rough treatment. The air held the distinct scent of something burning. For the life of her, she had no idea what had just happened. At least not what stopped the spirit demon from taking her. After a brief self-assessment, she turned her attention to Dean who was oddly still as he covered her body with his.

"Dean?" Mae had to clear her throat, her voice holding far too much alarm when she said his name.

He had felt better and was certain he wouldn't feel worse anytime soon. It felt as if he had been electrocuted or something. Every muscle in his being was fighting him on this one. His first attempt at getting up went poorly as his body seemed unwilling to comply with his demands. He paused his efforts, gathering himself to try again. "You okay?" He asked against her shoulder.

"Yeah, I think so. What happened?"

Pushing up on his elbows, he felt stubborn resistance in his body so stopped there, taking only some of his body weight off the woman. "That bitch dropped me as soon as it got her hands on you. I put a match to the spell and grabbed you."

"Oh."

The room grew increasingly quiet. Oddly, they could hear the world outside from the gaping hole left where the window had been, and it was calm as if nothing had happened. In fact, it seemed like outside of that room nothing more had happened. Dean's focus moved from the yawning hole to his friend.

Mae's eyes were closed again as she took measured breaths. The absolute wrong feeling came over him for a moment and he found himself thinking how beautiful she was, how much he had missed being this close to her. She might have been a pain in the ass, now and then but he was undeniably drawn to her. Unthinkingly, he brushed her messy hair out of her pale, angular face. "You sure you okay? You've taken some pretty hard knocks, Red."

She felt the shift in his thoughts. It wasn't a psychic connection or anything, but his voice was softer, sweeter. Dean's gestures were always revealing. Not ready to accept the first thought she had, that knowing what he was thinking was part of the spell, her eyes shot open. As uncomfortable as she was with his concern, she had no plans on letting his feeling move passed that.

"Macho son of a—" She gasped then tried to look neutral again. Even if she had managed to hide the wide-eyed shock or the gasp, she would have had little success. The look on her face told him that the stinging on the side of his face might have been worse than in felt. "Dean."

The explosion of glass had left both with superficial scrapes and they would likely show bruises later. However, the small shards of glass and splinters of wood had embedded themselves along the side of his face and neck. It looked pretty bad, not life threatening but certainly annoying and could become a larger problem later.

"Maybe… maybe we should get back to the car."

His hand moved up to assess the condition of his face but hers gripped firmly at his wrist.

"Don't." She ordered with just as much firmness.

"It's nothing."

"You have part of a house stuck in your face. We're going outside, and I'll take care of you."

She pushed at his shoulders gently and they eased to their feet together. "If I had a nickel for every time a beautiful woman told me that-"

She rolled her eyes, tugging him into line with her. "You'd have 5 cents. Now, please?" She asked it like a question, but he knew there was no room for argument.

"Mae…"

"There's a first aid kit in the car, right?"

"Yeah but-"

"You look a mess. You can't really go around town in broad daylight looking this way."

"Are you sure you should do this right here?"

She gave a cursory glance around. They might have looked a bit out of place, but the street was virtually deserted. It appeared to be as good a place as any and they could probably come up with a good enough excuse where they caught.

"Don't argue with me on this Dean. Let me clean you up."

He hesitated but acquiesced without further argument. While Mae wasn't feeling herself yet, she led him down the stairs out of the house and to the car.

"Sit." Again, she ordered as she opened the car door and guided him into the back seat. Her strength didn't surprise him but the warmth that was tangled in it did. However, this was the Mae he remembered, a gentle and neutering woman. When she wasn't being a brat, Dean thought, smirking to himself.

"This might hurt." She said, returning from the trunk of the car with the bag containing the necessary first aid supplies they all too often needed.

"It's fine." He looked at her with a soft desire and she sighed as she crouched in front of him.

"Your cuts will get infected if you don't clean them."

"I'm aware."

"Shush. I'm distracting you. Don't talk back."

Her voice was gentle now and he could only make out a slight twinge of discomfort in her touch. Slender fingers touched the edge of his jaw, angling his face towards her as she examined him. His eyes drifted shut at the surprising comfort from the delicate touch. He could admit he felt a twinge of jealousy when Mae had looked after his brother and now it seemed justified.

Her hands were warm against his face. How could he not remember her frame from the night before when this left his senses unexpectedly alive? Those hazel green eyes sprang open when she shifted, breaking contact. He almost protested until he realized she was just getting the tweezers. Dean was amazed that even disheveled; he still found her beautiful and knew he always would.

Before she began removing the debris, he stopped her. Sliding across the bench seat a little more Dean pulled her inside the car. He pulled her close enough, so their thighs pressed against each other. She turned, and her hand came to cup his chin, pushing his head into a better position.

Mae had control over him in ways he could never tell her, but she had to know from the easy with which his head angled for her. He didn't complain about the efficient but none too pleasant way she removed the glass and wood splinters from the worst of the lacerations on his neck. The car was oddly quiet as she took the small shards out of the wound, the pieces making a soft click as she placed them in the upturned lid of the first aid kit she'd put in his lap.

Dean couldn't help but wince when she would pull out material buried a little too deep in his flesh although something about her hand on his face, her nearness made him forget about the pain. It would have only pissed her off, he though, if he told her that this was how he preferred to remember her, as a caregiver. He would have watched her if he could have kept his eyes open.

"What is it about you boys getting cut up on this job?" She mused mostly to herself.

Regret once again flooded his system, although not as overwhelming as some of the other emotions that had been encircling them recently. "Mae…"

"Shhh, don't talk."

"I just—ow!"

"I told you not to talk. Can you just stay still for five more minutes?" He obeyed waiting until she cleaned him up before he turned to her. The redhead knew better than to do much more than make sure scattering of cuts wouldn't get infected as she dabbed the rubbing alcohol wipe along the wounds. He would hardly keep any bandages on if she used any. It wasn't so bad, now that the debris was out, the bleeding stemmed, and his face cleaned up a bit.

"There, that's better. Now people will just have to get to know you more to find out that the crazy is on the inside." She poked his forehead playfully.

"Yeah well, now I'll do you."

Her brow furrowed. "What?"

"Your face is bleeding too Maes. Unless that's the ways girls are wearing it these days."

Dean had shielded her from most of the flying bits, but she did recall the stinging bites of something against her face in that room. "Fine," She huffed, taking the box off his lap, setting it in hers and letting him take over wiping the blood off her face.

She had fared better than he had in terms of what had embedded into her face. She had only received a minimal number of shallow cuts. Dean might have lingered longer than necessary as her eyes were closed and he could study her face without getting caught staring at her. She was far prettier than he thought when they first met. Now that they were both adults, he thought she was downright beautiful.

He cleared his throat. "Mae, I'm sorry."

Her eyes fluttered open, heavily skeptic. "For what?"

He would have laughed if it weren't so hopelessly unfunny. "You really have to ask?"

Pretending to not know what he was talking about would have been a waste of her energy. "Didn't we just go over this?"

"I don't mean last night. I get that whatever it was, we're on the same page. Although, I'm sorry that it was like _that_. I really can do better."

She gave him a snort of a laugh. "I'd hate for your ego to take the hit."

"That's not what I mean, and you know it."

"So, are you going to tell me what you're sorry for or can I just say I accept your apology and we leave the heavy emotional stuff to daytime TV?"

Now however, he could see that she was trying to back away, but he took hold of her wrists, holding her lightly. She could have pulled away easily, but he hoped she wouldn't. "I'm sorry for all the...shitty things I said to and about you, you know, after I thought you and dad...I mean, if it was anything like that..."

Mae pressed her lips together. She'd told him some, not all of what had happened. She always been a bit skeptical that he would believe that any of what happened had happened. It was certainly a lot to take in. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. Now was neither the time nor place to tell him the rest but God, when he looked at her with those kind green eyes, she had a hard time remembering why.

"I mean, it wasn't _exactly_ like that, with him. It was..." she cleared her throat and Dean found the pink tinging her cheeks adorable, "...if things were different, between us, it's not like I wouldn't have considered-not like that mind you... it's-all I'm saying is sleeping with you wasn't something that was totally out of the realm of possibility, in the absence of spells and demons, which I can't really say is true with your dad. So, this was...different. But you know to be honest, I don't really remember what happened. I know it did, I just couldn't tell you more"

She almost forgot he was still holding her wrists and she slid them from his hands, feeling suddenly very aware of how close he was. This wasn't any kind of spell work; it was simple nerves and awkwardness. there was a think kind of intimacy between the pair that surprised them.

Dean shifted away from her a bit. "Me either, which is weird."

"What about this isn't weird Dean?"

"You're not wrong there. You know, this is what I thought things would be like, between us?"

"You thought I'd be pulling glass out of your face while you annoyed me with the number of times you apologized to me?"

"No, I mean...getting a long, things feeling...nice."

"Oh, yeah, well... me too. I mean...yeah. I wasn't expecting... anything to be between us at all. I kind of thought...all those bridges were burned."

"If you asked me if that was true two months ago, yeah."

"Yeah, well...I'm sorry I couldn't tell you the truth a lot sooner."

"Well...we can't change things. So, we're okay?"

The redhead shrugged. "As okay as we've ever been."

There was more than enough reluctance in her voice, but he knew without a doubt that that if he let whatever moment they had just had escape, he might not find it again. "I was hoping for something a little better than that."

"Well, you know everything is so screwed up between us anyway."

"I was hoping to unscrew them."

It was difficult to tell him no, to push him away, particularly after everything that had happened. She knew her self-preservation instinct ran high, sometimes more than needed but this was all wrong. "Hard to unscrew what's already been screwed."

"Mae…I want things to be different. I mean while things feel normal, I need you to know… that I can't get over you."

"Please don't. Please don't make...this is not a good time to go down that road. I don't think...don't you ever sort of think that it's just not meant to be?"

"What's not meant to be?"

"You and me, having a... relationship like that."

"That's a grim assessment."

"I don't mean to be grim, I just… so many things keep coming up."

"That's life Mae."

The man was impossibly stubborn. Surely, he knew that being with anyone and being a hunter only caused more heartache, no matter how you felt about them. "In this life, we don't need extra. Besides, I don't think that we have a great track record here."

"We can… we can change."

Mae couldn't argue with him any longer. He had this damned optimism somehow. Perhaps it wasn't even optimism so much as his protectionist nature. On some level, he needed to take responsibility for fixing things between them. She didn't know if he could fix what was wrong but didn't have the heart to tell him that.

"Dean have you been… seeing things, people?"

The sudden shift in topic wasn't unexpected but it was confusing. "What do you mean?"

"Something… weird happened to me in the kitchen. I thought I saw this old woman and then… well then I don't know what happened next, but she disappeared."

"You're not having weirdo psychic visions too, are you?"

That lone eyebrow quirked in her 'are you kidding me' expression, making the older hunter smirk just a bit. "I don't know. My dreams aren't coming true or anything." She sighed before she continued. "It's not the first time and I was just thinking that maybe you were seeing her too since we've been on the same track lately, you know crazy behavior wise."

"No, I haven't. Well..."

"What?"

"I did have this weird thing back in the house. It was...more like a vivid memory. But nothing to do with this job."

"Of what then?"

"I... when we met."

"This morning?"

"No dummy, when we were kids."

"Huh. That's weird. Mine was our first kiss. I don't get... why that?"

"Beats me. Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"Well the memory thing was just in the house too. The...if I really am seeing an old woman or something, I don't know. I'm still not sure that I saw anything. It could be nothing. Besides, when would have been a good time to even suggest something was wrong? When I wanted to rip your head off or when I wanted to rip your clothes off?"

"Fair enough. Well, I'm not quite that crazy yet. Do me a favor though, talk to me okay? I don't care what you think we are to each other but right now, we're working together and-"

"We need to be able to trust each other, I know. I just… well you know how I am."

"Stubborn as a mule."

The little smile that turned her lips was encouraging. He let his eyes rove over her angular features, pale but tinted with hints of crimson now. "Mae, don't misconstrue this as part of the spell."

Moving in to cup her jaw as she had done to him, he kissed her.


	26. Chapter 26

* * *

That meeting of their lips was sweet and light, not demanding or aggressive. If Dean were worried that she thought it was anything but him, he was far from right. This was the sort of kiss that she remembered so vividly. Not to discount passion but the tenderness overwhelming. Mae found herself caught in it, her recollection of their first kiss so fresh in her mind. There was a similar sweetness to this although it was so drastically different this time.

Confidence, familiarity, and experienced made this kiss far less overwrought. Dean quite often had an intoxicating effect on her, leaving her strikingly off balance, spell or not. There was a part of her heart and mind that would always keep her first love close to her heart. The rubbing alcohol could not mask the way he smelled or how it roused her senses. His touch was laced with comfort as the calloused pad of his thumb stroked her cheek.

Everything that every other kiss they had shared recently lacked what she found in this one. His mouth was surprisingly soft and not so surprisingly skilled. The action sent chills down her spine. If she said she didn't like it or him, she would have been lying. Any time he touched her still filled her with a sense of anticipation and desire. The rough scratch of his razor stubble against her face was oddly reassuring, familiar almost. It was nice. And she wanted him.

Her logical mind tried to push back against her every hormone and base urge that told her to throw caution to the wind and just give in. Dean said it had nothing to do with the spell but how could he know? She didn't know? She didn't know if her response to him was because of him or her or the spell. Maybe this was just the latest permutation. To what end, she couldn't even begin to understand. Naturally, it set off warning bells. Before she could act on them, a crash of thunder pulled them apart with a shocking rattle.

But what they found themselves looking at kept them that way. The rain began pouring with a ferocity that could hardly be coincidence. She felt her heart sink. Something had changed. If it was because they had destroyed more of the text of the spell or if it were just another part of it, Mae wasn't sure. She thought she might have been if she and Dean weren't so distracted with any number of their current issues or preoccupations.

Now as she watched the rain with bewilderment, she tried to put those issues into perspective. So lost in thought, she barely remembered that Dean was right next to her until his hand dropped from her neck, having slid when she turned her head.

"Is it…" He paused, running the question over in his mind one more time, "raining blood?"

It was a strange query but at a loss for anything else to say, he had no other choice but to ask. It certainly seemed like it and she had no decent explanation. But it couldn't be. That was insane. Wasn't it, she wondered? "I… of course not."

The waves of water were odd, not because of the volume alone but because of the distinctive red tint. But raining blood? There had to be a better answer. Mae simply couldn't think of one.

Dean managed to turn away from the windshield to look at her, more confused than usual about her contrary nature. "You do see what I see right?"

"Right but…" She gestured towards the window as if it would help her find the answer, "it's just red... rain?"

He almost laughed at her painfully simple explanation. "Red rain is your answer?"

She frowned before turning back to him. "You didn't ask for a good one."

"Humor me?"

"Well, particulates… iron or rusted iron really might have gotten stirred up in the wind storms and now…"

He finished the sentence for her. "It's raining red."

"It is clearly raining red. This is weird."

"Weird doesn't even begin to cover this."

This time she shrugged, realizing that the rain seemed to have no intent of stopping. "You know, there is historical evidence of this."

"I've heard those stories too and it's never been an indication of anything remotely good."

Her lips twisted in a thoughtful pucker.

"Wait, where are you going?" Dean asked as her thoughtful expression led to her opening the car door.

"I'm going out there."

"Are you crazy?"

"Clearly."

"Let's just think for a moment."

She shook her head. "We can figure out what this is pretty quickly, instead of guessing."

He grabbed her wrist again, this time more tightly. "I think we both have seen that freaky sudden weather ain't our friend Mae."

"It's rain, what's gonna happen?"

"Floods, lightning, freezing rain, monsoon, evil freakin' demon! Is that a good enough list for you?"

"Monsoon? Dean-"

"Okay fine but… well you're not going alone."

* * *

"What the hell happened to you two?"

Sam had a right to ask, she decided. The pair had seen better days; dripping wet, scraped up, and clothes ripped, they were hardly a winning duo. Venturing outside the car had resulted in unsurprisingly soaked clothing and, for Mae, a growing headache. Part of it came from the down burst of wind that had picked her up off her feet and into the front bumper of Dean's car. The other part of her headache came from the glances he kept offering her that both touted that he was right and expressed a deep concern.

Having spent the better part of the day on an emotional roller coaster, getting knocked around like a rag doll, and experiencing a growing aggravation at being bested by spirit demons, she had little tolerance for anything he had to say, even with a simple look.

Exhausted, in more ways than she could count Mae waved off the question and mumbled something about a shower and a possible curse Sam couldn't make out. She then stormed her way to her room and let the door slam behind her.

Sam winced a bit before turning back to his brother sympathetically. "Has she been in a bad mood all day?"

He wondered if his brother had heard him at all since his attention was still focused on the now closed door. Eventually though, Dean scrubbed his hand over his face before answering. "She was in a better mood before we got jumped by Casper the douche-y ghost."

"What?"

With the shake of his head, he sat down on the edge of his bed before realizing that he was still sopping wet. "We had what seemed like a good idea. You'd be proud; it involved less arson than normal." Sam grinned and gave an appreciate chuckle.

"But," Standing again, Dean went on, "it sure as hell pissed everyone one off and before we knew it, those demon things or whatever they are were on us. It was weird though, they... could have possessed either one of us but didn't. They could have killed either one of us but didn't. It seemed to care more about Mae than anything else."

"That is weird, especially if you were trying to stop them. Was it both or just one?"

"Sorry Sammy, their name tags must have fallen off. A least we broke the spell, I think." He offered the sarcastic comment as he toed off his shoes.

"Well you could have been a little subtler about burning down the place."

Still getting out of his soaking wet shirt, he stopped at Sam's comment. "What?"

"C'mon, it's the middle of the afternoon. Anyone could have seen you and-"

"Whoa, whoa. We didn't do anything to the house. We took down the wallpaper but when we left nothing was wrong… maybe a little property damage."

"You two didn't torch it?"

"No. Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it went up over radio a few minutes ago. I though-"

"It wasn't us and we didn't see anyone more suspicious while we were there."

"Then who?"

Dean shrugged. "No clue. Except Mae had this feeling. But between the window that blew in on us and the red rain, we didn't exactly go searching."

"What the hell happened to you two?"

Having peeled off his jacket, flannel shirt, and tee shirt, he was headed towards the bathroom to clean up. "Nothing good. Oh, and added bonus, she thought we were being watched and she thought she saw someone."

"You're kidding me."

"I guess she has been for a while. I don't know, we've gotta keep an eye on her though, she might have gone off the deep end."

"You think?"

"Hey, that's what she told me. I'm starting to think… she's affected by this a lot more than we figured."

"And you?"

He shrugged before disappearing into the small bathroom. "Probably. I can't say I'm totally...unaffected."

"What happened between you the other day?"

"That's not really the point."

"I really think it is. Come on, if this case, this spell is affecting you—both of you—then we all need to be clear about what's happening."

Hesitantly, Dean weighed the options. "It's really not important. We… settled things."

"You settled thing?"

"Yeah. Dude, I'm not really into your touchy-feely feelings fest so you'll hafta find someone else. I'm hittin' the shower."

It was more for Mae that he didn't tell Sam the full truth about what happened the other night. He knew that being evasive about the whole thing didn't exactly help; he had more than likely figured it out. Dean realized there was more than a little embarrassment tied into what had happened between him and Mae. It wasn't just sex, Dean wouldn't have had a huge problem letting his brother know about that, not explicitly, of course. But this was different.

* * *

Dean had come into Mae's room, intent on talking to her. After her shower, she hadn't come back to their room. For a while, he was comfortable with that. Nothing they were doing right then required all three of them while they waited for night fall. After all, they still had to get the girl's body and burn it. That would be unpleasant, both because of the act but because they would very likely face the same kind of attack they had faced at the house. They would need to prepare and make sure they were ready.

He knew she must have felt like hell, on top of whatever else was wrong. He wasn't feeling so hot himself and it seemed Mae was taking the brunt of the spirit demon abuse. Despite an antsy need he felt growing to see her, he let her rest. At least until he remembered that she had that damnable date with the sheriff. Surely, she had canceled. There was no point in going if they had narrowed things down.

Sam had shared with him what he found in his library search and both he and his brother were pretty sure they had enough to try and stop the spirit demons. So why, he wondered, was he so worried she would be leaving that night. It wasn't jealousy, that was just ludicrous.

Under the idea that he needed to make sure she knew the date was off, he came to her room. After all, Sam's dream might be right, and this could get her hurt or killed. It was just a stupid idea all the way around. No amount of information was worth the risk.

Yes, that was the reason he charged into her room. Then he caught sight of her. He was embarrassed to admit it, but his breath hitched, and pulse quicken. Mae wasn't supposed to be that girl, the girl who made him lose track of himself. She was a hunter and a pain in his ass more often than not. But he found himself caught up in seeing her like that; hair swept up in a twist, different from the other times he'd seen her with her hair up, whips of red falling around her face. She wasn't dressed yet, still in her bra and underwear. What was more noticeable in her current state was the tattoo that wrapped itself around her upper thigh.

That was something he should have noticed at some point before now, he thought. He'd seen her naked last night but could only had a vague recollection of soft, warm flesh but no tattoos. And this one wasn't a tiny little butterfly or some other girly bit of ink. How much had he really thought about her if he could have missed basic aspects of her body, he wondered.

Her eyes met his now. She'd done her makeup. covering up her most noticeable cuts, playing up those pretty eyes, and painting her lips a deep red. When their eyes locked, hers were smoldering and his were wide with surprise. But he didn't back down under the scrutiny of her glare or her obviously exposed body. Dean crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned in the door jam. "What are you doing?"


	27. Chapter 27

* * *

His eyes lingered on her face before they inevitably slid down her nearly bare frame. He was at a loss for words suddenly as he found himself standing so close to her. The woman was tall, muscular and lean. Mae was not a 'girly' girl. She had never really embraced those things. She was solidly a tomboy growing up, naturally. But she did have an enticing figure under all the denim and flannel. Finding her attractive however had never been a challenge for him but now, he was having difficulty seeing her as anything else.

Mae looked particularly... lovely. It wasn't just because she was deliciously undressed. No, there was something else that Dean couldn't exactly explain. The more refined hairstyle, makeup, and something else. She carried a certain glow and polish right then. She didn't look like a hunter to Dean then, just a beautiful woman. Hell, any living and breathing man would see that. Even the barely veiled anger didn't lessen how beautiful she looked.

Then again, the underwear didn't hurt. She was just as pale as he remembered. Although that was years ago, not from the other night. He wished he recalled that much. This wasn't a bad substitute. She was more muscular now, more built. Mae had certainly come into her own. There were more than enough indications that she was hardly the girl he'd first fallen for.

Dean's mouth went a little dry as he thought about her and he knew he needed to think about something other than her body or her face. Something other than her. He tried to turn his attention back to the woman, who was staring at him expectantly and defiantly. But this wasn't jealousy, he was certain. Well, pretty sure. Jealousy only played a small part in what made him want to put an end to her meeting with the sheriff. It didn't feel unfounded. Unlike before, when it was Mae and his brother had his jealousy flaring, this was controlled. This wasn't that uncomfortable cloying need to possess her.

He felt like he needed to protect her. He knew he couldn't tell her that, at least not in those terms. But she couldn't deny that either directly or indirectly, this spell or these spirit demons were targeting her. That, he decided was the real issue, not that she looked so beautiful for someone else. Still, he kept his distance this time and focused his eyes on the wall paper pattern above her head. This wasn't something he could let go, for her sake. He held his ground, arms folded over his chest as he leaned against the closed door between their rooms.

"What are you doing?" He asked again.

"Wondering why all the sudden we're no longer knocking. I mean, I am getting dressed."

"You know what I mean."

"No, I really do think I deserve a little privacy here. And I'm getting dressed because working in the buff isn't particularly conducive towards anything. Unless you're a stripper, I guess. But that's not on the slate for tonight."

Just because he had decided to attempt to involve himself in her business, she decided he wasn't going to stop her. Part of her though about throwing him out but knew that would only escalate things, he'd try to barge back in, and they'd end up with a bigger fight on their hands. She knew he was being possessive, that his apparent grudge against the sheriff was the real issue. Trying to minimize the fight, she turned back to the mirror over the motel sink, to finish putting on her makeup.

"Well….?" Dean made a concentrated effort not to let his eyes drift down to take in the profile view of the woman. "Don't you think this is unnecessary Mae?"

"No, that's you. You think this is unnecessary. I think there's still some value to this. You didn't exactly engender a lot of love from the sheriff."

"And that's your job?"

Her eyes narrowed; she wasn't sure if he was trying to lure her into a conflict or if he had a genuine point. But she couldn't stand his implications and tried to keep her temper from flaring. "I think he knows something, and we need to figure it out, don't you think?"

"Yeah but we already know what we need to do. We must get the body and deal with it. I don't see why you still need to pump the sheriff for information."

She brushed the stray strands of hair out of her face, annoyed with herself for wanting to fight and annoyed with Dean for being able to provoke that with so little. Maybe the spell was cycling back. Amplifying. "Dean, I'm not going to have this argument with you. This isn't dangerous or stupid. It _is_ the job. And we need to be sure."

"Why are you so goddamn stubborn? Sometimes I think you just try to piss me off. Sam said Brand tries to choke you. That could be tonight. You always get all dressed up to get strangled?"

"I like to leave an impression." She quipped. However, her sarcasm did nothing to change his frown, she turned back to him, arms crossed over her chest. "Dean, I've done this job without you. I know a thing or two about what I'm doing. I don't need you to hold my hand and I understand the risk here, okay? If I can deal with a banshee, I can deal with a person. So, Sam saw something in his dream? That's not good enough for me and it shouldn't be for you either. Not when you got half a wall taken out of your face and not when whatever happened to me in there happened."

"That's exactly the point. He was right about us. He could be right about us and this is getting more and more unsafe."

"And you don't see the issue?"

"I don't follow."

"Then don't act like I'm going off on a lark. Things got a bit out of control the last time we destroyed this text. Do you think it's going to get easier?"

"No."

"Okay well, the way I see, I'm a liability on that part of the job. I'm not blind to the...way this spell is working. Frankly, I'd rather fight off a person rather than one or both of those demons again."

"If he's possessed. you don't stand a chance."

"Yeah well if he's possessed that'll get us somewhere too, it'll mean you and Sam will have less to fight in getting rid of the remains. Besides, you guys are going to steal a body, so it wouldn't hurt to know if the law is on to you."

"I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't stopped it last time. It had you, sweetheart and it wasn't letting go. I'm not letting you do this."

Her eyebrow arched. Dean realized he'd said the exact wrong thing as she challenged him with a withering glance. "You're not _letting_ me? I don't think you want to play that card with me. I know you're all macho and think a lady needs a guy in shining armor to save her but that sure as hell isn't me."

"That is not... Jesus, Mae. It's not like I think you can't do the job. I just don't think you should do this part, this way. We're a team, right? Well, you're not going to sacrifice yourself on this one."

"That's not what I'm doing. Tell me you don't think I'm a liability on the spell front."

"I wouldn't say liability, exactly."

"Well I would. We weren't even prepared last time. And you're right, if you hadn't been there, maybe it would have possessed me or killed me. Do you think we're not up against the same thing as we try to get rid of the spell again?"

"I... I mean...we're more prepared this time."

"Yeah, we are. We can take precautions and I think this is one of them."

"I don't like it."

She crossed her arms over her chest now, mocking grin on her face. "Can you give me a list of the things you actually do like because that list would be much shorter?"

"Mae… please stay?"

There was something genuine in his eyes, in his request. She found it very difficult to stay mad when he had that look in his hazel green eyes. She had a soft spot for him anyway. That look might not have had the same power of Sam's puppy dog eyes but when Dean looked at you with honest concern, it was hard to not feel something. Her tone softened. "Listen, If I had a good reason I would but you haven't listed one and I can't think of one so… I'll let you know when I get back or if something comes up. Full disclosure, I promise. I'm tired of getting jacked around by this whole thing. So please, be objective."

"I…"

More emboldened, she closed the small distance between them. "Dean, if this is about you and me..."

"It's not." He lied.

"Okay well, anything not about this case, you need to put it on the back burner for a while."

Her logic was sound, and he almost agreed with her. Bringing her along to dispose of the girl's body might be more than they could handle and perhaps not having her there would make it easier. That didn't mean he liked it and it didn't do much to make him comfortable with the idea of her out on her own. Or with the sheriff. "Just don't… sleep with him."

He might have convinced her to go about this differently if he hadn't treated her like she was 'his girl' again. She stepped towards him, jabbed a finger at his shoulder. "I knew this was about something more than... it's still not any of your business who I sleep with. And more importantly, that shouldn't be your first assumption about what I plan on doing here. You're out of line on that one."

Dean grabbed her finger, knowing he shouldn't let her have moved so physically close to him. It wasn't a violent move and he held her hand in his rather tenderly. "I'm not assuming or accusing you of anything. What if this spell doesn't just amplify whatever is between us? You could be dealing with something out of your control again and I don't want you to get hurt."

Maybe he had a point, she thought with a snarl, but it wasn't something she wanted to concede now. "Okay, but if it's amplifying emotions, believe, it's not going to lead me to sleep with him. That's not how I feel about him. "

"You're not attracted to him at all? From the stand point of this case," he added when she rolled her eyes.

"No. Just...I am not going to discuss that with you, okay? I promise, I'm not going in unprepared. I am doing another part of the job."

"He's not going to give you any case details."

"You act like I don't know how to manipulate people into telling me things they don't want to tell me or don't even know are key to working a job. You are not talking me out of this so...unless you plan on knocking me out and tying me up, just do your part of the job and I do mine."

He considered it, for a few moments at least and the real reason he didn't was because without Mae canceling, the sheriff might come looking for her and that was only going to raise more questions and issues. He let go of her hand. He closed his eyes, letting his head fall against the door in frustration as she walked away from him and into the bathroom.

* * *

"Dude, why are you still here? You have your own room and... I do not want you in my bedroom!"

His breath caught in his throat when she exited the bathroom, now fully dressed. His gut twisted harshly looking at her. He didn't think she could have looked more beautiful dressed but there she was. The black dress, simple silver drops that dangled from her ears, the delicate chain that held her collection of charms and subtle heels made her look quite unfamiliar to him. Mae was still there under the chic finish of refinement. Her perfume was light and subtle. You had to be close enough to her to feel the warmth of her body to catch a hint of it. It made him want to stand closer, lean in to inhale the feminine blend of citrus and something else. She was intoxicating.

He just watched her a moment as she adjusted the garter on her thigh. It settled over the snake tattoo that encircled her upper thigh. She slid the flat handled sliver knife into the small sheath attached and made sure it lay flush against her pale leg. They disappeared from his sight as she smoothed the black material of her skirt down. Her hands moved to skim down her stomach and legs once and then again.

"Dean!" Her voice was stern, just this side of angry.

Looking back up at her now, he opened his mouth but found it too dry to speak. Clearing his throat, he stepped close. "You look… beautiful."

"Why are you still here?"

"I have no idea. I just...I don't think I've ever seen you look like this."

The look in his eyes made her stomach tremble slightly. It wasn't lust. Lust she could have dealt with. No this was something much more tender but still far too intimate for her liking. Her hands skittered nervously along the bodice of the dress. "It's...I've had this dress forever. I can't remember the last time I wore a dress."

Dean just shook his head. There was only one other time he could recall her wearing a dress. It had been a light summer dress in a pale yellow. It wasn't particularly flattering, not fitted for her lanky frame. But her legs had been bare, and she'd let him run his hands up them, under her skirt.

This dress on the other hand slid fluidly over her muscles and curves, framing her in that silky black fabric he knew paled in comparison to her milky white skin. The hem of the dress came down just above her knee and the neck scooped low enough to show a tasteful hint of cleavage. She was in no way indecent, but she was provocative. All his senses seemed to kick into over drive.

This woman captivated him. It hit him again that she was going out looking like that, looking breathtaking. He didn't want that. The plan seemed like an utterly stupid plan now, sheriff or not. His mind shifted gears, his plan changed. Maybe if he couldn't talk her out of it, he could… distract her. He crossed the room to her. "You're right Mae, I can't stay objective. The reasons don't matter. I just don't want you to go."

"Why can't you trust me? I'm a good hunter, I'm not green either. You say we're a team. You need to forget about the past and treat me like any other hunter."

"Forget the past?"

She nodded, stepping back once when he drew closer. "We can be… professional."

"Professional?" He repeated. The word rolled off his tongue in a most seductive fashion.

Standing in front of her, his finger ran smoothly along the chain of her necklace between her breasts. Mae wasn't sure what he had planned until he slid his finger under the chain to flip the mass of charms into his hand. Her eyes stayed on his face as his eyes followed the path of his finger and focused on the silver jewelry in his palm. "I don't want to forget the past. I like most of the things I remember about you. For example, I may not remember that tattoo on your leg, but I remember this."

His hazel green eyes met hers as his pinky slipped through the center of a metallic circle. And she looked away, knowing that if she moved, he would pounce.

"You still wear it," he continued, holding the ring up to her face.

He had noticed the ring before she was fully dressed, nested among the charms but still easily identifiable. It wasn't anything flashy, just a simple silver circle. Except for the inscription that mirrored his.

"You wear yours." She said, somewhat defensively.

He did, he had for years on his right hand. "It means something to you too."

It meant a great many things to her and none of them fit in the moment or had an easy explanation. "I… when you gave it to me, you said it was to keep me safe… I believed you."

His eyes only flickered to her face for a moment before they focused on the ring again. He hadn't expected to see her still have the ring, let alone keep it with her, even if it was the way he intended. "Why don't you wear it on your hand?"

"I just don't."

With a weary sigh, he let the charms drop to her chest. Mae turned away from him, but his hand caught hers. He didn't spin her back to face him though and she didn't pull away quite yet. He knew he was walking a thin and dangerous line with her. Then he let his lips drop to her shoulder. She stiffened instantly as he pressed a kiss to her warm flesh.

"What are you doing?" She asked hoarsely.

"This is just a job, right?"

"Which part?"

"This date you're going on. This outfit. Dressing up for that guy. The truth."

His hands ran down her bare arms and she tried her best to suppress the shiver. Dean's body was so close to hers. She could feel the heat from his chest through the shirts he wore against her chest. She could feel the firmness of his arousal against her hip. His stubble scraped against her skin as he spoke. Then his hands moved from her arms to brace her hips and then spread over the flat plane of her stomach.

"Dean…stop. I've been trying to tell you. Everything I do here is for the hunt, nothing more."

He turned her, cupped her face with his hands and kissed her. It was a kiss, which started a sensation that worked its way from the tips of her toes all the way up her body. She was certain she couldn't have kept up with the fancy pattern his tongue was working around the warmth of her mouth. They both felt the little tremble in her body.

He had her breath in his lungs almost instantly and were he not holding her against his firm body, she would have puddled at his feet. His hands were too warm against her skin, making her feel flush and light headed. She needed him to stop but wanted so much more, too much more. Mae's hands clutched at the edges of his button up shirt. Air was mandatory now. If she didn't pull away, she was sure she would pass out and she wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

His grin was still cocky when she pulled away with a flushed face, swollen lips and lust clouded eyes. A tiny moan escaped her throat as her breath hitched. Dean held her tightly against his body, not letting her move from that position. "That," he pressed a finger to her painted lips, "wasn't the spell either."

"Stop doing that."

"You keep kissing back."

"I'm not asking you to stop because I don't like it, I'm asking you to stop because it's probably the worse idea you've had. And because I want you to stop."

"I don't know, I've had some pretty bad ideas. And you just said you liked it."

He was annoyingly stubborn, and she felt most certainly that she played into his hand so well. Maybe he wasn't intent on manipulating her, in fact she was certain he wasn't, but his cocksure attitude was less charming than he thought. "Well you can't keep… doing that. You just can't."

"You know, it might be fun. I mean, it would absolutely be fun."

"I thought you were worried about Sam's vision. You really want to roll the dice just because it might be fun?

"Well...I don't think..."

"Stow it, Dean. I don't care what you have to do but you're not going to kiss me or touch me again unless I tell you it's okay."

He frowned a bit, knowing this gambit was never really going to work. "There's something here and we both know it."

She stepped back, putting a safe distance between their bodies. "Leave it be Dean. This is not the time and... you said you would stop if I wanted you to stop. So, if that means anything, you'll actually do what you said you'd do."

"C'mon Mae. This isn't like that."

"I have no proof of that. This whole spell is...I don't know. But I'm saying no, and I need you to know I mean no."

He believed her. He also believed that their chemistry wasn't entirely based on this spell. He knew she still had feelings for him somewhere in the complex mess of emotions they felt around each other. Lastly, he actually did believe that this was just another part of the job. He believed that just as much as he needed to ignore that she mentioned everything she did on this case was for the case alone. "Yeah, yeah. You're right. I just...maybe we really do need to take separate approaches to this right now. Just so you know, you're the most irritating woman I've ever met."

"I'm the only woman you've spent more than a few hours with. Have you considered you're the irritating one?"

"That's not true."

"No, it is. You're very irritating. Can you just go back to your room? Please? And if you get the impulse to kiss anyone else, start with Sam or so other pretty brunette."

He smirked a bit at the halfhearted joking. "Yeah, okay. I just have a bad feeling about this."

"So noted. Now…can we get back to work?"


	28. Chapter 28

* * *

"Whoa, look at you!"

Sam said the wrong thing. At least, he said it the wrong way, judging from the downward slant of her painted lips. The hair, makeup, and dress all helped accentuate Mavis's features and for the first time in his life, Sam realized that she was quite beautiful. Even when the glower creased her face.

"Good God! You'd think you guys never met a woman before or are unaware that I am in fact a woman. Do you think I'm just a troll the rest of the time?"

"No, I just-I didn't mean-you look really nice and usually, I mean usually you look-you know, not so..." He gave a weak swallow, clearing his throat, "you look nice, Mae."

Because the young man expressed a satisfying level of fluster and avoiding Dean's burning stare held the key to keeping her temper in check, she ignored Sam's comments. If she'd been in a better mood, his reaction would have amused her. "I need my keys."

Sliding his hand into his pocket, he paused his retrieval of her keys. "Why?"

Her jaw twitched as she clenched her teeth together. "It's my car, you know. I'm going out."  
"With the sheriff?"

Her eyes rolled as she let out a sigh tinged with exasperation. "Don't start with me. Now, give me my keys."

"Yeah but-you can't go out with him."

"So help me God, Sam. I will smack both of you blind. I do not need either of you to go all paternal on me."

"Well, I mean... you could get hurt." Sam said softly, calmly.

Her temper flared with ease. Sam was familiar with how irrational that could make a person. "I thought we were all agreed on getting rid of the last of that spell. Shouldn't we be focusing our efforts on that?"

Mae knew their job still needed leg work and they needed to deal with the young woman's body or the need to burn it. "Why don't you and Dean reenact our argument? I'm sure he'll cover all that."

"Mae..."

"I swear..." Her hands clenched, unclenched. "Yeah, we still need to do that. Then... maybe we can finally get on top of this thing."

"So It's agreed then, we go break into the morgue and deal with the body." Sam said, reassured that she was going to be rational. "So when should we do this?"

Sam Winchester, always the diplomat. He didn't tend to trigger her emotions like his brother which helped her cool off down a bit/ He could at least bring out the importance of the job. "Well, we don't."

Dean glowered, arms crossed resolutely over his chest as her blocked the doorway back to her room. "We don't? Didn't you just say we were going to?"

"The deal's the same boys. You and Sam will, I'm going to keep the law busy, maybe find a few things out that we don't know, and let you two do your job."

"Mae..."

"First, everyone will stop saying my name like I'm a puppy that piddled on the rug. Second, for God's sake, can we just skip this step? Here, I'll give you the run down, 'Mae this is crazy, you're in danger, this is such a bad idea, you should stop. Blah, blah, blah.' Done and done."

"It doesn't change anything." Dean said.

Her hands splayed wide as she released a terse breath. "CliffsNote version for Sam here; in addition to the charming effects this spell has on me and your brother, it doesn't like to be silenced and more importantly, it doesn't like women. I'm a bigger risk out there than I am out with don't think I should go with you boys."

Dean grit his teeth in annoyance. He hated the notion that she was right at that moment, particularly because she was. He wanted to keep her safe and didn't want a repeat performance of this afternoon. He couldn't put her through that again. There were too many questions about what would happen and far too many possibilities. Even without those concerns, he had a difficult time justifying having her join him and Sam on the basis of need.

"Well, you may be right Mae."

"I'll be fine. I'm on my guard and pretty skilled so just take care of the body alright?"

"I don't like it."

"Yes, thank you Dean! I don't need an update every 5 seconds when I get that you don't like this. Well, suck it up sunshine. You," she turned to Sam, "keys."

* * *

A lie was better if it had a kernel of truth. A lie was harder when there was so much truth in it. She tried to think of this as a simple scam, a simple manipulation. She tried to think of this meeting as one where she leveraged a relationship to get information. But that was a lie with no truth at its foundation.

Mae had a job to do. For the past several years, she had constructed a specific look and act for the general public. For almost a decade, she acted like someone else. That meticulous personality held close enough to her true self that she could keep it up without letting too many falsehoods trip her up. Pretending to be someone else came easy enough to her now.

Meeting with the sheriff, her father-in-law's connection, held truth. The life that she had lived for 8 years started as a lie, several lies and eventually, she became that version of herself. Mavis Norton was not a woman she thought she would have to be again. Having to be her and Mavis Singer gave her some difficulty. Which one was the real Mavis? Being both wasn't an option, but it was the situation she found herself, meeting up with the sheriff.

The Winchester brothers got on her nerves at this point. She didn't feel angry, annoyed but not angry. They were looking out for her. They would have done the same for her growing up. Being totally honest with herself, the concern touched her. It also jabbed at her pride, making her feel rather ridiculous but unable to back down, unable to divulge the source of her desire to meet with the sheriff.

Dean insisted something existed between her and the sheriff. He wasn't wrong. The energy or connection that he sensed was just something different than what he assumed. He thought the sheriff had a crush, perhaps she did too. She felt both flattered and infuriated, inspiring the reaction from Dean. She didn't find the jealousy reassuring, however. He wasn't partial to logic when his heart got involved and his jealousy only proved that she still meant something to him. Dean meant something to her, and she feared that the spell, the sex, all the fighting, everything that had gone wrong on this case had screwed all that up.

If felt, at times, that not only could they be friends again, maybe they could have some other kind of relationship. But then, something would happen. Maybe his jealousy caused the problem, maybe her secrets did, or maybe the spell and the demons set up the foundation for their conflicts. Or maybe each of those excuses clouded the subject and the logical conclusion that they were the real problems when it came to being friends or anything else.

Her hands moved to rake through her hair before she remembered the up-do. Her fingers went back to drumming on the steering wheel. All her thoughts only severed as distractions, perhaps an attempt to calm her nerves or push off getting out of the car. Her nerves hadn't come up because of worry over Dean's reactions. No, the sheriff made her nervous. He might think this was date and she could deal with that.

He might think this was like connecting with an old friend and that brought back thoughts of her husband. That connection went back further than she felt comfortable even thinking about, let alone discussing. It shouldn't have bothered her. But it did. It meant walking into a situation more distracted than she wanted. Her motivations felt justified. Justified but selfish. Selfish but necessary.

Already on edge, that made her feelings of nostalgia and sorrow more dangerous. For all her protests about not taking Sam's dream at face value, she kept it in the back of her mind. After all, one event happened. They could check sex off from the list of events in his dream. A theory developed in her mind about why the sheriff might be provoked to attack her. It meant walking that fine line between lie and truth more carefully than usual.

"What are you doing? Stop thinking about that and act like a hunter." She said aloud as she sat in the car. "Oh great, now you 're talking to yourself Mavis. Wonderful, you're nuts. Hold it together for at least a day then you can go home and... be crazy there. Stop thinking and just do the job!"

She closed her eyes, taking several breaths as she tried to steady herself, find her balance, and focus on reviewing her story before she walked into the restaurant. Just a job, she reminded herself. Her past could help her. It established a level of friendliness they normally weren't afforded in this situation. And perhaps, she might find something nice in revisiting her past this way. Focus on that, she thought, focus on anything to keep calm and remember that you are very good at being who you need to be.

The restaurant was disturbingly nice. It was one of the nicer places she had gone in the past few years. It was the sort of place a man took a woman on only a romantic date. A bar or a club or some other casual place would have made her less uncomfortable. Meeting for coffee had been fine, going to his office had been great but, yes, was a date.

It was safe to say that she didn't really like cops, at least not when it came to her job. Her attitude was less hostile than John's or Deans but in hunting terms, the cops didn't always have all the facts. They weren't exactly helpful when it came to their line of work since police work didn't operate by the same rules and hunters didn't always operate by the rules of the law.

Most people thought people who believed what hunters believed could easily think they were crazy. But the authorities tended to be the sort who tried to stop them from doing what needed to be done. Taking a breath and spotting the sheriff, she decided she had to make the best of an uncomfortable situation and work the case the right way.


	29. Chapter 29

* * *

A dull shuffle of dishes and silverware accompanied by the soft swell of voices, and light tingling classical music drifted between the conversations that filled the restaurant. Ambiance. The place screamed of ambiance while still holding a degree of the small city charm. The warm and welcoming atmosphere and absolutely romantic. That heightened her discomfort, ever so slightly. Romance wasn't in the cards tonight, at least not where she was involved.

Okay, so maybe Dean was right, the sheriff might have had more of an interest in her than she had believed. She wasn't sure how he'd pinpointed that so clearly. She cursed Dean for even suggesting the notion that she reciprocated. The sheriff caught her attention and she pasted a pseudo smile she hoped didn't look to fake as she adjusted the strap of her purse. Normally, she didn't carry one but without pockets, she needed something more than a knife strapped to her thigh, so the simple black purse carried money, a lighter, holy water, and a gun. Lady stuff, she quipped in her head.

The man was out of uniform and in the simple button-down shirt and slacks, he seemed less imposing, less bulky in civilian clothes. But then the men she associated with could be considered anything but unimposing. She had a hard time being genuinely intimidated by most men given the way she raised, considering who she had grown up with, and her own set of skills.

Mae caught herself as he walked towards her. She realized that line of thought was part of the problem. This wasn't a man who was trying to intimidate her. Judging from this place, he was a normal man probably trying to impress a woman he thought was normal too.

He was handsome in that blue eyed, blond haired Midwestern way. Square jaw, sharp eyes, Greek nose, slightly messy crew cut. He was in shape too. And she wondered if she Dean was just a bit right and her interest in the sheriff might have had little to do with a physical reaction. Maybe she would have canceled or stood him up if he was less attractive or older.

Maybe that was a small part of it. However, during their first exchange she felt a connection to him and she didn't know if it had to do with a shared past link or something else. His father and her father-in-law having worked together was something real, something tangible. And she wanted to know what Tony knew about her husband. Had they known each other?

If he did, maybe this wasn't a date. Maybe it was just a nice dinner with a friend's spouse. Normal people did that, right? Mae realized she was a bit out of her depth on that interpersonal level. How was she supposed to interact with him if he was meeting her as a friend of her husband? She could have done this under her reporter guise or simply as someone out of a date but too this situation mixed too many truths and lies. It would have been far easier if she had just kidnapped him and worked the information out of him, at least in the short time. The soft sell seemed particularly difficult now.

Somehow, she managed to push through the pleasantries and gauche oddities of meaningless conversation. Still, it was difficult to pay attention to Tony. The dull ache at her center was a constant reminder her of something she wanted to forget. That wasn't his fault. The man was nothing but pleasant and charming, in an almost goofy way.

She wanted to push the conversation away from the past, at least away from her past. But what else did she have to discuss? Pushing for details on the dead witch, the spell, Grant Tanner, and of it, needed to be handled with more delicacy and now wasn't the time to bring it up. Mae tried to put herself outside of the case, pretending like she was willingly on a date with someone she wanted to be with.

Dean had gotten to her, he was in her head. He kept her from embracing the role, this version of herself she was supposed to be. This, she thought, was why she needed to keep her emotions as free as possible and Dean didn't help with that. He occupied far too large a part of her mind and worse her heart. Maybe this was all some influence from the spell. She wanted to believe that because when they weren't distracted, she and Dean made a good team. It wasn't Dean's fault, not entirely. He was the catalyst to unpacking a great deal of history and pain. Now wasn't the time to think about that.

Sam had gotten to her too which is why when Tony excused himself, she slipped her flask of holy water out of her purse and stealthy added some to his drinking glass. When he returned, she waited for him to drink. When he did, she relaxed, considering he had no reaction. It seemed safe enough for now.

She smiled and refocused on the present. She found herself sitting with a man who obviously liked her, was kind and funny, and she found herself thinking about two things; her husband and Dean. Neither was an easy subject, neither really made sense to her and yet, here both men were, monopolizing far too much of her time. _Focus up, Sing_ er, she told herself.

"Are you all right?"

Her eyes went wide with the realization that he caught her lost in her own thoughts while he had been chatting with her. "I—it's been a really weird day, you know? I think I'm a bit distracted. Sorry."

Rather than be offended, he laughed. "You're tellin' me. You have no idea how our call center lit up when that storm hit."

"Yeah, I've never seen anything like that."

"You're not the only one. I thought it was just some sick joke when we started getting calls about it raining blood."

"I was out it in. Crazy, yes, but obviously it wasn't blood. I've heard about weird phenomenon like this caused by algae or rust particles."

Tony offered a weary smile as he pulled a far more exhausted hand through his short-cropped hair. "Try telling hysterical people that. Maybe you can make sure our little city gets some good press."

They both grinned at the joke but for different reasons. "Well, I'll try but it seems crazier than usually. Unless this is normal."

"Who's to say what's normal, Mae?"

"Good point but the peculiarly high crime rate aside; this can't be business as usually."

Tony leaned in towards her. "Guess someone's been doing her research. You're not using this as an excuse to indulge your story, are you?"

"Me?" With flutter of her lashes and a hand pressed delicately against her chest, she feigned innocence with enough of a twist of her painted mouth to indicate that he was only part right, "It's just odd, that's all. I'm not even trying to talk shop… not really."

"Well, this is out of the ordinary, I'll give you that."

"Since you mentioned it, what the hell is going on here?"

"You know I can't tell you that."

"Off the record."

He sat back, assessing her. She saw the hesitation in his eyes, saw just a little crack in his demeanor. Whether it was because he wanted to talk about it or because he didn't want to slow the momentum of the date by getting into some sort of argument with her, he seemed to be a bit more willing than she assumed. Mae would take the opportunity.

"I'm just...curious, you know? I didn't come here because of all this, I came because of the history of this place and the outrageous crime statistics. Believe me on this, if I were going to lambaste you or your department over anything, it would be over the past 5 years not the past few months." Leaning in closer to share a conspiring smile, she licked her lips. "I'd be run out of town if I reported half the things, I've heard around town about what's going on."

"What have you heard?"

"Nothing you haven't I'm sure; Satanism, the occult, witchcraft, aliens… pretty much everything in between."

"And you don't buy it?"

"Tony, there's a lot I'm willing to believe but some of that is just too out there. I mean, aliens? Gimme a break."

"At least there's that."

"Here's the thing, everything I've found out so far makes it sound like a bunch of weird...supernatural stuff is happening. But there's got to be a logical explanation. So, tell me, you've seen a lot of stuff, what do you believe been happening?"

"A girl was murdered, nothin' more. I don't care how she was dressed up or what people decided she was. At the end of the day that young woman was killed, and I don't doubt for a minute that whoever did it was evil, but not the devil."

Well, Mae thought, the sheriff was right about the evil part and she did have to give him credit for not giving into the hysteria, even if some of it was founded.

"As for the rest, I couldn't tell you. Domestic violence has been up over the past two months, the weather is crazy, and people are starting to notice. It could get out of hand if people start jumping to conclusions. Whatever you write, try and be objective."

She liked him. He was clever, levelheaded, and charming. "Don't worry, you'll never see anything about this in print. When you say DV is up, like how much?"

"Across the board. People you wouldn't suspect."

"Anything serious bodily injuries?"

"Not really, superficial bruises some unwanted… contact."

Her stomach rolled, discomfort filled her. That was it. There were other women or men or couples who'd perhaps had a similar encounter to what she and Dean had, but on less friendly terms. It could have easily gone that way between them. "Contact?"

The smile he gave was filled with an explicit sort of sadness and it told her she already knew exactly what he meant but didn't want to say in polite company. Of course, Mae knew exactly what it meant and what had happened for those couples. She just didn't know why at that point.

"And hell, the fights between people who've been cheated on… it's been worse than I've ever seen." He rubbed a weary hand over his face. "It's been a rough couple of months."

"You sure you should be out with me with everything going to hell around us?" Her voice had a lilting tease to it, but she wasn't really kidding at all.

"Well for the first time I'm grateful the fire department has to investigate the fire at the Morell place. While they're busy, I have a few free hours."

"Fire?" She nearly choked on the sip of water, no doubt giving away more shock than necessary. What the hell had happened after she and Dean left? Anything could have she thought. They certainly hadn't left the place in the best of conditions, but they hadn't burned the place down. Although, it wasn't something they wouldn't do if necessary. Her cheeks felt hot and she hoped she wasn't blushing in an incriminating manner.

"Hell of a thing. Right after the storm so… with any luck, it was caused by lightning."

She and Dean hadn't been that careless. They would have noticed a fire at the house before they left. Maybe it was lightning, but she wouldn't bank on it. "Yeah. Still, frightened people could do a lot of damage when inclined."

He nodded and sincerely wished he could get her off the topic of work. She was certain there was a pattern and once they put the spirit demons down, the town would go back to normal. It wasn't really news, but it seemed to prove her theory.

"So, how's Cal?"

"Cal… yeah, he's... he's good."

"He's popped into my mind more than a few times lately, excluding your visit out here. So, it was kind of serendipitous to get that call from my dad, you know?"

Mae nodded, but she was unsure where he was going with it. Her guard was up again. "Well, sure."

"I remember growing up, he was always so level headed and then he started in on that demon stuff."

She hadn't been aware that he had told others. It made her cover seem stranger now. "Well...you know...we all cope in our own ways. And sometimes... well we have to tell ourselves things to make it all make sense."

"I get what you mean but it didn't sound like he was talking figuratively. He got fired over it."

Mae leaned away from the handsome man. "He did, yeah. Are you worried you're about to jump on the crazy bus and blame this all on… witches or demons? If so, I know a little ranch where ex-law enforcement who people think have gone loony can roam free."

Tony snorted. "C'mon, even you have to think it's a little...out there."

"I've heard a lot of out there things."

The thin redhead had explicitly clear body language and she had been far more comfortable with the talk about domestic violence and strange phenomenon than she was about herself or Cal. "You know, I think I've heard it all. There are some pretty strange things around here. Just east o' here is this mystery cemetery pretty much in the middle of nowhere."

That was intriguing. She knew if she were going to start casing spells, that's where she would head. "Mystery cemetery? Is that anything like one of those tourist traps?"

"Not exactly, that's the way it's marked on the maps, but no one know why or if anyone was ever buried there."

Mae smirked. "Really? I would think it would be pretty easy to figure out the difference between body and no body."

She once again noticed how handsome the sheriff looked out of his uniform and smiling, oblivious to the notion that she was using him, with just a hint of regret for bringing up a tense subject with the woman.

"Places like this, there are always legends Mae." He decided to try one more time, "Now you don't really want to talk about work all night, do you?"

"I, uh, think we covered 'how's the weather' and 'what's up with your crime rate'.'

"If those are your small talk go tos, you're kind of a weird lady."

"I'm a super weird lady." She grinned.

"Well uh part of why I asked you to have dinner with me is because you said your husband had passed. And, you know, Dan and I went to school together."

"Really? That's a crazy coincidence, I mean that we'd end up meeting later."

"He never mentioned me."

"I... I'm sure he did but I..."

"That's alright. It was a long time ago. And we didn't really keep in touch after high school."

"That's too bad. I'm uh... well I'm not entirely sure what I'm supposed to day."

"I couldn't tell you. Do you mind if I ask a slightly indelicate question?"

She knew that was coming. She had given him just a bit of information, again unsure of what the man might already know. After her husband died, she hadn't kept touch with any of their friends and Dan hadn't had much family outside of his father, Cal. Cal knew the truth. Mae didn't know how much anyone had heard about his death, but they clearly thought his father was nuts.

"Yeah, sure."

"How did...how did Dan die?"

"Intruder. Broke into the house, got the jump on him. I uh...I had been on a trip and got home late, walked in on the whole thing. Uh, about three years ago."

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize. I guess when you said he passed, I assumed it was an accident or something."

Mae shook her head. "No. I'm not sure if that would be better or worse, you know?"

"Was it an attempted robbery?"

"No. I mean, maybe. It's hard to know but I don't think so. He, the man who attacked us was there when I got home and... well, the man-he died from his injuries-"

"His injuries?"

"Well, we put a fight before...anyway, authorities were never able to identify who the guy was or why, because he was dead. I uh...I'm not sure what would make it make sense. So... sorry for going a little morbid on you."

Mae had told him a little more than she intended. Although it he looked up the police report, he'd find the same details. He'd find the crime scene pictures and it wouldn't seem like a convenient lie or cover. She knew he probably wasn't assuming that. He didn't have any reason to doubt her, aside from the fact that it was an odd crime. But he, like most others, wouldn't believe the truth of what happened.

"That's...I asked the question. I just hadn't anticipated the answer."

"Be weird if you did. It's alright. I'm sorry, if you two were friends that we didn't let you know or invite you to the services. I was..."

"A grieving widow."

"Yeah, so, you know...I think if you saw what had been done to me and Dan... well you might start sounding like Cal."

He wasn't sure about that but knew he touched the wrong nerve and the exact nature of what she has been through was not something she was willing to reveal, nor was he entitled to it. But he did wonder what could have happened to bring all that down on a presumably nice young married couple.

She licked her lips. In all honesty, she didn't know what else to talk about. Feeling a bit exposed after sharing something she had only told a handful of people, people who were far closer to her than this man. He was a stranger really who had, years ago known her late husband.

She wasn't particularly skilled when it came to anything in the realm of real dating. The last thing that she had gone on even resembling a date had been years ago. This wasn't a date, she reminded herself. It was business. No matter how handsome the man seemed, no matter how much their shared affection for a dead man made it seem like they had a connection, he was a means to an end. It wasn't fair but if she hadn't been on this case with Dean and Sam, she wouldn't have thought twice about it. She would have used the sheriff, maybe for more than just information without question.

An oddity, Mae thought, as she found herself wanting to feel something more for him. The man seemed genuinely warm and her first impression was that he was a decent guy. She wasn't in the market for a relationship or even sex but looking at him, she thought she should want something like that with him.

The part that did make some level of sense to her was that she knew she would have been more comfortable out with Dean. They wouldn't have come to a place like this, probably. But something casual, something that wasn't just for work or sustenance would have been nice. Where did that feeling come from, she wondered? Romantic dinners and Dean didn't pair naturally in her mind. But Dean, well he understood her and… hell, there had only been two men on her mind that night and only one of them was still alive.


	30. Chapter 30

* * *

Dean stared at the door, long after Mae left, and they heard the throaty growl of her car fade away. Were his expression not pained, it could have been almost comical. Still Dean stared at the door as if she might come waltzing through, just to justify whatever he was feeling. Dean did hope she would come to her senses and realized she had better things to do. At the same time, he didn't want to risk her out in the field if the scene from this afternoon happened again.

Sam felt for his brother. It couldn't be easy for him, still obviously having feelings for the woman but being conflicted about even having those feelings. Added to that, he had to confront his obvious jealousy, only this time it might be somewhat more founded. Dean spent a great deal of time trying to convince himself he should feel any other way about Mae.

And Mae was doing the same thing. There was something between the two, not that Sam really knew what it should be called but the pair had an undeniable chemistry. It was painful to watch; at times, they had this perfect give and take and then at other times, they were like oil and water. Neither of them seemed to be able to find a good balance or a better way to get along.

Sam sighed. There was so much about his brother he just didn't understand. "So, you think we should hit the morgue?"

Dean was quite a few moments longer before standing and grabbing the bag of supplies. "C'mon, that witch won't burn herself."

* * *

As they drove from the motel to the morgue Dean's distraction continued. Obviously, Mae caused it. "I don't think you need to worry about her."

"Worry about who?" Dean asked.

Of course, he knew but had no desire to even think about her right then. Sam bit the inside of his cheek to hide the hint of a smile that was about to ease over his face. "You know, she's right about not coming with us if one or both of these demons are after her."

Was it possible his brother was so oblivious when it came to this topic? He was supposed to be the one in touch with emotions and all that, Dean thought as he cast an annoyed glanced over at Sam. "I know. But you an' me both know she should have stayed at the hotel."

"She might not have been safe there either. At least out with the sheriff, she has some extra protection."

Dean scoffed. "From what Sam, a mugger? Mae could handle anything he could protect her from. It's the stuff he doesn't believe in or understand, and I just have a bad feeling about him."

At least he was making sense, Sam thought. He was making more sense than he had during most of the job. "I'm starting to think Mae was on to something. Maybe that dream doesn't mean anything. It hasn't panned out so far. Usually, by now something has happened. So maybe nothing will."

Dean was quiet again as he laid his foot on the pedal to speed up the Impala. It didn't take a psychiatrist to know _something_ had happened but for whatever reason Sam's older brother wasn't saying it out loud.

* * *

To the brothers' surprise, getting rid of the body had been the easiest part of this job. They had run into little resistance from the authorities, the demons, the girl's spirit or anything else that might have come at them., that they had prepared to encounter. Dean knew that Mae was part of the earlier incident. He hadn't figured out what that part ways yet. He didn't know why, and it didn't matter. The redhead was a target now and he and Sam had to do whatever it took to keep her safe now.

"Dude, you know she's pissed at you. She was never going to let you have your way on this anyway. You should have demanded she go. Then she'd be back at the room, thinking up ways to torment you but not out there with some other guy."

"Can we drop this?" Dean asked as they made their stealthy way into the darkened building. There wasn't a great deal of security: just a distracted guard and a few cameras they knew to avoid. It was almost as if nothing was happening around them and Sam's attitude seemed to reflect that.

Sam didn't drop the issue. "I can't imagine anything happening between her and the sheriff."

He had been relentless on this one and Dean could not figure out why. Whatever was happening between Mae and him was between them. Sure, they had let things bleed over into the case but that wasn't their intention. And, again, that wasn't the point. He cared about her too much, he decided. "I'd rather have her alive and pissed than dead and happy with me."

Sam raised an eyebrow, smirking at his brother. Without looking at his younger brother, he could see that smart-ass grin on his face. "Oh, shut up Sammy. She's just…"

"The love of your life?"

"Shut up!"

"You are so in love with her."

"I'm not in love with her, okay? I just… I like her. I've never been able to hate her and believe me, I've wanted to, but I can't."

"You still love her."

It wasn't a question and Dean didn't say anything one way or the other. Sam knew Mae and Dean were close but never thought much of it. They were all close. Maybe if he had paid more attention, he would have seen how serious his brother had been about the woman. He just assumed their relationship was close in the same way he was with her, like brother and sister.

Women always acted a certain way around his older brother so Mae acting similarly wasn't odd. At least she didn't fawn over him the same way and his cheesy lines fell on deaf ears. But she was comfortable around Dean in the way women typically were.

Everything made a great deal more sense knowing they had been not just sleeping together but having a real relationship. No wonder Dean was obsessed with Mae and how things had fallen apart with her. Dean didn't get close to people. Sam assumed Mae fell into the category of family friend, another hunter to call upon and possibly hunt with. But she was more to him, it seemed.

"Do you think you could have your Oprah moment when we're not getting ready to throw a dead girl in an incinerator?"

Sam nodded as made their way inside the cold storage section of the morgue but still had one last point to contend. "Just promise me you'll wait until after this job to… you know, make a move on her."

Dean laughed at that. "You do realize who we're talking about here, right? I mean Mae isn't… I'm pretty sure she won't talk to me after all this."

"C'mon, the two of you have been fighting sure but when you get along... well you really get along. She'll talk to you again. She loves you too."

Disbelief etched over Dean's face. "If she does, it doesn't matter now. Just trust me on this one. It's not about the fights or anything like that. Now, if you don't mind can we torch us a witch or do you want to make a collage for your dream journal?"

* * *

Mae returned to the motel feeling hollow. The night, specifically the date, felt too long and too awkward now. Everything seemed topsy turvy. No longer accustomed to wearing anything aside from her sturdy combat boots let alone high heels, her feet ached. She noted that the impala wasn't in the motel parking lot. Had they run into an issue at the morgue? They would have called or texted or something, wouldn't they? Or, the answer she had deemed far more likely, had they followed her to meet the sheriff? She felt like she would have noticed that. Neither boy had been in the restaurant, so they wouldn't have known when she was done so she would have seen them take off.

Besides, Sam wouldn't have let Dean's jealousy take over and distract them from their task. Mae kept an eye out but hadn't caught sight of them. If they needed help, they'd reach out. She checked her phone once more, just to be sure they hadn't and to ensure the ringer was on.

"Calm down. If there was a problem, they would have let you know. Just...don't run off and do something stupid. They know what they're doing. And you're talking to yourself again."

Taking her hair down with a shake of her head, she tried to stifle a yawn. The exhaustion she felt seemed odd. Aside from the scene at the house, she didn't think she had done merit feeling the way she felt. Perhaps it was the emotional toll of this case. If possible, she would get a few hours of sleep before Dean or Sam woke her up again. She took the unnecessary blade off her thigh before slipping out of her simple black dress.

Sam's nightmare hadn't come true. Maybe his 'boy psychic' powers weren't as astounding ad the boys had implied. He'd seen one thing that was possibly an accurate vision of what happened. A shower seemed inviting but as she got her sleep shirt out of her bag, she realized she was going to take advantage of the peace and quiet, hoping to fall into a restful sleep.

She killed the lights and changed into her pajamas before getting into the all too hard motel bed. It wasn't long before her much desired sleep was disturbed by a light knock at the door. Long after the Tony had given her a shockingly chaste goodnight kiss on the cheek, he was back. There was no talk as he grabbed her by the waist. He placed on hand on the back of her neck and pulled her against him.

No words were spoken, just the silent duel of passions with the handsome attractive man. As soon as her eyes had closed, she knew it wasn't the sheriff. Had it ever been anyone else? It was Dean Winchester. She didn't have to open her eyes to confirm that. He had a distinct touch, scent, taste. He had hands like no one else as the slid up the legs of her shorts, lifting her off her feet.

If asked she wouldn't have been able to describe the difference between the desire she felt now and the need she had the previous night. Except it felt different. It felt like her own and not a compulsion. She could have stopped, she didn't want to, but she could have. This didn't scare her like before. The kiss broke and his mouth almost instantly latched on to her neck over the same marks he had left before. This time, he was gentler and caring in the way he eased his mouth over her skin.

This was how she remembered things with him, except now he had more stubble, more definition, and more daring. But his touch was just as strong and comforting, kind and rewarding and very much what Dean was to her. She had no desire to make him stop now. She wanted more. She eased his head away from her neck, locking eyes with his. Sometimes, she hated how mesmerizing those eyes of his could be with their shifting hues from hazel to green.

When she was particularly close to him, they were so deeply green and hypnotic. He had a way of setting her body into a jittery excitement, like caffeine on an empty stomach, with just a look. She knew he probably looked at every woman with that same burning desire but right then, she wanted to pretend that she was the only one. He'd always looked at her like that, so it wasn't all that difficult.

With a lopsided grin raised brow, he asked her permission and she responded with a smoldering kiss of her own. Too soon, they were throwing leather, cotton, denim, and flannel on the floor before they ended up on the bed. His rough hands slid all over her skin, knowing exactly where she wanted them to be. She was under a spell for sure, not one devised by some teen witch but one cast solely by Dean.

As he greedily explored her body, her head rolled to the side. He was a manly sort of man, calluses and hard edges but his mouth and lips were hot, soft and tender. Those hands, while rough, were gentle. She did not want to find him so attractive, so charming, so… fascinating. He shouldn't have been able to trigger her response like this anymore, but God, she wanted him.

Her eyes caught sight of the large tree in the corner of the room. The tree? She had to turn away before turning back to confirm that there really was suddenly a tree there. It was more of a trunk really, expanding through the roof to unknown heights. But on the trunk was a small bird, a woodpecker, drilling happily into the bark.

*thunk**thunk**thunk**thunk**thunk**thunk**thunk**thunk**thunk**thunk*

The pounding came in rapid succession. Sitting up, she tried to place why and what exactly was going on. This didn't make sense. Little by little, the fog started to clear until she found herself in the motel room, sans tree and sitting up alone in that bed, very unsatisfied now. She'd gone to bed alone and stayed that way until that sound brought her around. That was still there.

*thunk**thunk**thunk**thunk**thunk**thunk**thunk**thunk**thunk**thunk*

"What the hell is that?" She mumbled, running a hand through her hair.

It was knocking. Someone was knocking at the door. At first, she thought it was on the door that adjoined her room with the boys' but after a few sleepy blinks she realized the frantic knocking was at the front door. She checked her watch as she grabbed her gun. Mae grabbed a pair of jeans from her bag and tugged them on to save herself from answering the door wearing an over-sized shirt and underwear.

Based on previous experience, Dean would have just come into her room. Sam might have knocked on the adjoining door, but he might have also burst in. Neither would have bothered using the front door though. There was no one she wanted to see.

She closed her eyes, pushing unwanted feelings down for the moment as thoughts of the evening crept up in her chest, mixing with her dream. All of which left her feeling both unsatisfied and nauseated. A small part of her wondered if this was some kind of hallucinatory loop, Sheriff Brand coming to her room, just like her dream. She must still be asleep. She was asleep, she though, and soon whoever was at the door would turn into Dean too and she'd finish her dream.

The hodgepodge of emotions that swirled in her took seconds to pull into control as she opened the door with the chain still on. To her surprise, she found none of them men she'd spoken to in the past few days but an incredibly nervous looking young man. His eyes were wide, distraught and he looked as if he had been up for days.

"Hey. Hey you're the lady? The lady who's asking about Angela's death?"

The young man was either drugged out or terrified. Mae would have put her money on terrified.

"What's your name, kid?"

"G-Grant, Grant Tanner, ma'am."

Her mouth quirked at his equally terrified and formal response. He didn't look like the grim-faced young man who wore more eyeliner than she'd ever owned now. He looked like a scared little boy. At this late hour, he wore no makeup, no chains or studs apart from the eyebrow ring and his dark hair hung with a stringy and lifeless frame around his surprisingly pale face.

The boy who had rabbited now showed up on her doorstep in what was either a trap or good fortune. At this point, she didn't really care which it was, she was going to use whatever she could find. "Hold on a second, okay?" Shuffling his feet, he nodded before breaking eye contact with her and staring at his shoes. Mae shut the door and undid the chain. She grabbed him by his hoodie and pulled the young man inside. Mae used the same motion to push him towards one of the chairs at the table and shut the door. "Sit." She ordered, and he obeyed.

She then made her way to the door that separated her room from the boys'. Her hand gave a few sharp successive knocks. She didn't wait for either boy before she opened the door, walked in and tried to rouse the occupant of the nearest bed with a gentle kick of the mattress. "Hey, wake up."

When both figures shifted, she realized that she was still dealing with hunters, not just two men in their 20's. They were well trained, and she knew that Dean had his hand on whatever weapon was hidden under his pillow.

"It's me." She added. Just in case, she held her hands up in mock surrender, realizing she was still holding her gun.

Dean sat up groggily as did Sam, although he was much slower to respond to her rather rude wake up call. When Sam opened his eyes, Mae stood close to the door to her room, illuminated by her bedroom light. "What are you doing?"

"Get over here."

"Um… uh why?" Sam questioned.

"Grant Tanner showed up here. I thought maybe you and Dean might want to talk to him. I also figured I should be wearing pants."

"He's here?" Dean asked as he wiped the sleep from his eyes.

"Yeah, he's here. Grab your gun."


	31. Chapter 31

* * *

Dean caught her looking at him again with that perplexing look. If she were any other woman, he would have called it lust, with a little embarrassment mixed in there. At another time, he might have been able to make the stretch to Mae having that mindset. Even if they were in another place, he would not have found the expression odd. He was misjudging the look since they were in an obviously non-erotic situation, gathered in her motel room with his brother and the kid he'd been trying to track down.

Distraction like that didn't' come to Mae without good cause. Hell, she was probably the most professional hunter he'd met. No way did lust fill her slate blue eyes. Although she did seem to be focused on him more than normal. He wasn't certain she was even listening to what was going on with Sam and Grant.

Mae and Dean would have both been surprised to know what the other was thinking. Mae found herself caught in a moment where her dream flooded her mind again. Dream Dean was too distracting and refused to fade away like he should have. Her feelings couldn't be trusted though. How much of this was due to the spell, she wondered. This time, she didn't experience the overwhelming pull to be with him. It was a slow boil, but she would be lying if she claimed she didn't want him. He was a desirable man. Just as much as she wanted to forget about him, she wanted to love him. At least not having feelings, sexual or romantic or otherwise, would make things easier between them.

The scent of acrid, off brand coffee filled the small motel room. The complimentary coffee never offered great taste, but it did the trick. The more she slept, the less rested she felt. It left her system was buzzing, not just because of the cheap caffeine. A dull biting headache was forming just between her eyes.

It didn't take this long to get a cup of coffee she knew but she needed the moment to collect herself because she didn't entirely trust herself. She couldn't pinpoint the exact reason, but it clearly had something to do with the young man who'd arrived at her door. The nervous hand she run through her hair was more drawn out than the usual frustrated gesture

"You okay?" Dean asked in a hushed voice, placing a soothing hand on her shoulder.

At the shutter that made her shoulders stiffen, he frowned and tried to lightly massage the tension away before she shrugged away from him. Mae wasn't sure what tipped him off to her sense of ill ease, maybe it was obvious, or he was just that intuitive, but she was a bit embarrassed in either case. "I'm fine."

"Hey, this is a good thing."

She shook her head slightly, still whispering. "Maybe."

"What is it?"

She passed the cup of coffee she had poured for herself into Dean's hands, who took it with a tiny self-confident smirk. She seemed perfectly oblivious to the act, but he thought it showed some degree of progress. Maybe he was reading too much into it. It was just a cup of coffee after all and they were all on edge. "I don't know. I just have this feeling."

"It'll be fine Mae, I've got your back."

It wasn't particularly funny, but she still gave a huff of a laugh. "Yeah sure, big boy."

How could she not know that, he wondered? No matter what happened between them, now or then, he would have died to protect her. "I'm serious."

Having filled her own cup, she took a breath. "I'm not? Let's just… deal with this."

"Sam and I can take this if you-"

When she finally looked at him her eyes were firm but not hard, all business. It was strangely reassuring. "Whatever. I said I'm fine. I'm not made of glass."

He knew that, but it was difficult for him to tap down that instinctive need to shield her. "I didn't say you were. I just…never mind."

As Dean let his glance pass from the redhead to the young man in her room, he frowned. The kid looked scared, hardly capable of being the mastermind behind all of this. Of course, there was no knowing what was hidden behind that terrified expression every face. He grabbed a chair, swinging it around to sit down backwards in it.

Sam sat on the bed across from the kid, an understanding look on his face. Mae stood, arms crossed with coffee in one hand while she leaned against the counter. The woman had no sympathy in her pretty face for the kid who'd woken her. Dean wasn't sure if it was intentional or not, but the redhead looked immediately like the bad cop of this situation.

The three hunters looked at the kid with differing degrees of hardened expressions, tempered slightly by sleep tussled hair, winkled shirts and hastily thrown on clothes. Still, it was difficult to pretend that they weren't glaring Grant down with painful scrutiny.

"So," Mae started icily, "you tracked us down. Why?"

"I—I don't want anyone else to get hurt." He said quietly.

"Maybe you should have considered that before you unleashed this shitstorm on this town. What the hell were you thinking?"

"Mae," Sam chided, "Just let him-"

"You think there's some sort of _good_ reason for all this?"

Of all the fights that had spawned in that motel, in that town since those spirits had been set upon it, Mae and Sam hadn't even been snarky to each other. But right then they appeared to be in the middle of a terse standoff. Dean was certain that his little brother wasn't ready to fight the woman.

"Of course, not but let's hear him out." Dean said authoritatively.

She couldn't claim she liked the tone but knew that she was only combative because of jangled nerves. He was right. She was tired of conceding that even if it were only to herself. That bad feeling had taken up root in the base of her spine and she couldn't get comfortable in her own skin right then.

"So, what did you do Grant?"

Sam asked him with that soft tone and kind eyes, a very compassionate and approachable manner that made people reveal their dirty secrets. Mae seemed to prefer strong arming the boy into telling them what happened. Right now, he had the key they needed to solve this case and put an end to the spell. Sam's was a better line of attack.

"It wasn't… I didn't mean anything—I mean I didn't want all this to happen. I thought it was, you know, a big joke but… it's not."

"You're gonna have to let us in what you're all 'male lead in indie film' about 'cuz all we know is that you feel bad about being an idiot. I coulda told you that based on the black nail polish."

The snicker Dean's comment elicited was only barely hidden by sip of coffee she pretended to take.

"We… I guess we cast a spell. It wasn't real, it wasn't supposed to be. That's all… make believe."

"Right well, that's real. Bigfoot's a sham. Now tell us exactly what you did." Dean added matter-of-factly.

"I…there's this place outside of town, kids go there to drink—get high, you know, the usual. It's secluded and… I didn't do it all, but I added some stuff from this book I got. I wanted it to look authentic."

Mae ground her teeth as she slid her index finger over her eyebrow. A part of her had hoped, despite knowing better, that this kid was some sort of sinister occultist or some such thing. But he was just a stupid kid, that much was clear. And while she could be mad at him for being stupid, she couldn't really treat him like the bad guy. That didn't mean she looked and less hostile.

Her two hunting companions were thinking the same thing, wearily rubbing their temples or pinching the bridge of a nose as they tried to push that same headache away. "But why do all this if you thought it was just make believe? And what happened to make you think it wasn't?" Sam asked.

"Angie. She's…she was really into all that occult stuff, you know? I thought it would be cool if I set the mood, with candles and some… you know pentagrams and other stuff I found in that book. Maybe if she thought I was really into it, it would be a turn on and-"

"You wanted to get laid? So, you summoned a demon? That what you thought would get her in the mood?" Mae finished for him.

Grant looked as if he would start to cry at any moment and for all the sympathy that the Mae could muster was not surfacing. There was stupid and then there was _stupid_ ; there were something that weren't worth going through for sex. "I didn't know… she didn't either. It turns out that spell works…we went through the whole ceremony and everything and then she… I—well we couldn't control ourselves. It uh… it works with… you know…."

"Spell sex." Sam finished for the clearly nervous young man.

"Yeah but—listen I didn't want it to be like that. I mean I just lost control and I didn't know what I was doing. She—I thought she was cool with it but once everything was over, she couldn't look at me. I didn't talk to her for a few days and then… all of this started to happen. I realized then… I swear, I just wanted to…make her happy."

Mae was certain she had stopped breathing at some point as it all came together in with those stuttered words. If they needed more evidence that something was amiss about their encounter the night before, the two had clear enough proof. She hadn't figured out why she and Dean became victims of the spell, but it sure seemed like they had been.

The hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach grew and Dean looked over to the woman. He could see they were finally thinking the same thing. But her penetrative stare didn't waver; her jaw only made the slightest twitch as she gave a labored swallow. Pale as ever, when the truth about the spell hung in the air, the rosy tone in her cheeks left her looking ghostly white.

The one thing he needed her to do was look back at him and when she didn't, Dean knew that Mae's thoughts had turned to their encounter, perhaps to Sam's vision, and weighing what all that meant. Of course, now wasn't the time to hash that out. With an ache, he ordered himself to redirect his gaze and push this to the back burner.

Sam and Grant were talking again but neither Mae nor Dean could really hear what they were saying. It didn't matter right then to either of them. An awful thought curled around her mind until she knew without a doubt that she would regret whatever she did next. So, she did the only thing she could safely do and after setting her half full mug back on the counter, she left the motel without a word.


	32. Chapter 32

* * *

Mae hadn't gone far before Dean caught up to her, but she moved with a determined speed. He knew she was mad and would have preferred that she yell or throw something or do anything but leave. Dealing with her temper was easier than dealing with her silence. Silence meant she had been able to think about just how angry she was and what she might do with her feelings. That was harder to talk her out of than the sudden burst of fury.

"Hold up Red," Her head didn't move, her pace didn't lessen but he knew she heard him, ignored him, "Hey, where are you going?"

Again, he received no reply. She didn't stop. She just tromped across the parking lot. Dean jogged up beside her

"Mae." The man didn't take a hint, his determination to get her to open up drove her crazy. "Oh Jesus. Mae, will you just…"

Abruptly, she stopped and spun to him, a harshness in her slate blue eyes. Her fists clenched tightly at her sides. "I hate it when you say my name like that."

"I'm just trying to get your attention, I didn't say your name any way."

"Yes, you did. You were trying to use your compassionate voice since you look at me and see this crazy, broken woman who can't control herself."

"Okay, no, I don't."

He didn't like this. He thought she was upset because of the kid and his stupid decision to play around with something he didn't know anything about. But this, her insecurity, wasn't something he was prepared for her to reveal. She didn't need to be so concerned about that because he didn't see her that way. He saw her as more of a realist, understanding what was really happening in the world and that was because of a traumatic experience, something they both shared. It might have made them damaged but not broken. And she wasn't crazy. He never thought of her as broken or out of control. In fact, he thought she had too much control at times. There wasn't enough time for him to begin to explain all that before she turned again, trying to walk off.

"Hey, look at me," He took her by the shoulders and spun her to face him, "I haven't ever thought that. I did think that maybe you and I were thinking the same thing about this whole situation. That this is messed up. You just...left. I wanted to make sure everything was okay."

"Does it seem okay? What part of this is okay?""

"Nothing but...you know..."

She eased back but didn't shirk from his grasp. The longer he kept her in place, the more she felt the outrage give way to something more vulnerable. Her lower lip quivered just slightly, and Dean resisted the urge to offer a protective and comforting hug. She would have reacted poorly to any sort of coddling. It lasted only a second before her game face was back

Mae sighed, running her hands through her hair. "I don't know. I just had to get outta there, man. Or I was gonna beat that kid."

At least she wasn't so worried that she completely bypassed her instincts, Dean thought. "Well, I'm not saying he doesn't deserve it but… he can help us now."

"I know. That's why you and Sam were there so I could take my time and cool off."

"Considering the bomb that kid dropped, I sorta thought you shouldn't be alone."

It made her frown. "I'm fine."

Dean let his hands slide down her arms. He stroked her soft skin with his thumb before he realized he was doing it and dropped his hands to his side again. "No one said you weren't. I was just worried."

"You came out here with your damn caveman mentality like you had to save me."

He reached out again, taking her elbow to lead her on a slow walk. "I came out here because someone I care about is in trouble. I came out here because… well to help you, yes but you know we have all the more reason to stop this thing now than ever before. I shouldn't have to defend myself for actually caring if you get hurt."

"I wasn't—okay maybe I'm...feeling a bit...sensitive."

"I guess you get a lotta flack for being a girl, I mean a woman, you know what I mean. You're not any more...you know, vulnerable than another hunter. If people think that your gender makes you a worse hunter... uh, well that's their loss, right? You're very-"

She snorted a bit at his rambling. "Shut up. You're… you didn't do anything wrong. I really am okay... and thank you for checking on me."

Truth be told, if she weren't upset, she could admit she found him quite endearing right then. He was genuine, just a little self-conscious, and trying to make amends for something he wasn't even sure was wrong. She could hardly blame him for trying; Dean didn't know enough, didn't have all the details, and would always be a few steps behind on some of the large details of her past. At times like this, it was difficult to not tell him everything that had been kept from him.

"Okay. Okay good. Are you… are you alright then? Ready to go back?"

She shook her head. "No, I think I'm going to walk around a little."

"I'll walk with you."

This time, she resisted saying anything about his being over protective, about not needing him to accompany her. And, thinking a little clearer now, she decided that it was a little safer to have someone out with her, just in case she attracted the attention of either of the spirit demons again. And perhaps Sam would be able to get more details out of the wannabe witch-boy without her glowering. So, Mae let him fall into step with her as they, for lack of a better word, strolled. The night air was crisp and cool, refreshing. It might have been relaxing on any other occasion, almost enjoyable.

"Well, it's pretty obvious that sex spell didn't go exactly as planned."

It made her laugh, his mix of reassurance and sarcasm put her at ease in a way only he seemed to be able to do. "Yeah, I figured that much and… I think I'm really out of luck. I was really hoping I'm wrong."

"When was the last time you were wrong?"

He finally eased a small smile to grow across her lips. "Ah, you've finally figured that out." Her voice faltered with the fake laugh she tried to put into her statement. Although the ease didn't last more than a moment before her hand was dragging raggedly through her hair again. "This really sucks."

"That's a bit of an understatement Mae."

"We need to figure out what exactly happened after those kids set this all into motion."

He nodded as he passed a glance over at the woman. "I would guess that Sam might be a bit more effective than either of us. He's got that soft touch, you know?"

"Are you saying my charms aren't what I've assumed they are?"

"Sweetheart, you're all but ready to hang that dumbass by his toes."

"I wasn't thinking toes."

"That's my girl."

They made their way towards a nearby park. It was the sort of thing that was perhaps meant to detract from the usual seediness of standard highway motels. It wasn't much of a playground; a swing set, rusted looking teeter-totter, patchy grass, and something that tried to qualify as sandbox but was closer to an over-sized ashtray. The whole scene seemed rather fitting Mae thought as she sat in one of the swings.

"So, listen, I don't need any formalities or anything if this thing goes south and I end up like that girl. Just...you know, burn my remains."

"Hey, that is not happening!"

"I'm just being... practical, okay? This spell needs to be stopped and if I get taken down before you and Sam get to that, you've got to treat me like anyone else. I mean, you both took care of her, right? We never really talked about it."

"Yeah, we did but that is not happening to you, okay?"

"I'm not entirely sure why you think that. I mean, we already did the sex part and there's every indication that I'll end up with that script burned into my skin and... I can't imagine it's a pleasant death but..."

"You might hate my caveman mentality, but I promise I'll do everything in my power to keep that from happening. This is not the job that takes you out okay? I'm gonna stop it. And, maybe there are other, better candidates out there."

"Tony said there had been an uptick in cases that match what we're looking for so, yeah... We aren't the only people who were affected by this spell but I'm definitely in the running, Dean. And maybe you are too, I think. We don't know how this spell really works. That kid, when he was in the room, I got that same wiggy feeling I had before we went in that house."

"Wiggy?" He smiled as he took the swing next to her when he realized she was intent on swinging. "You felt wiggy?"

"Yes, I still do. There's something following him or hell, maybe it's him. I don't know. I never should have slept with you."

Dean wondered if he misheard the woman. They'd been over this point before and it seemed out of left field. Although he could follow her train of thought, he didn't like where it led. "I don't think either of us would have chosen to sleep together like that, if we were thinking normally."

"No, I mean ever. It's never done me any good. Although, I'd probably still be a virgin if not for you, which might be better. I don't know. Seems like it's caused a lot of issues for me."

She was frustrated and weary, he understood that but their relationship in his estimation hadn't been all bad. There was more good about it than there was bad. That was something he had finally decided. "I don't think sleeping with me was the worst thing you've done."

"Well, it hasn't won me any favors, Dean. Even with you."

There was a resignation as well as a sense of honesty he heard in her tone. There might have been some regret as well and he hated that. He supposed if they had never had a sexual or romantic relationship, that he wouldn't have been bothered by her sleeping with his dad as much as he had been in the past. It would have still been weird, because she was younger than he was. But other than that, he didn't view ever having been with her as a bad thing. He had always felt their youth was something special. "Besides this, how did being with me screw up your life?"

Her lips pressed together tightly, and he saw the wheels turn when the path of her back and forth swinging would bring her near him. Worse, he saw her coming up with all the reasons. He wanted none of that. Mae had to see the benefit they once had to each other and could have again.

"You were the first girl, maybe the only girl I was ever that serious about Mae. Believe me, if you hadn't got hurt and left to go start your own life... well maybe we wouldn't still be together but I sure as hell would have given it my all."

It had slipped out and while a part of her meant it, she didn't mean to say it like that to him. "Can we just drop this? I was just...talking. You're not the worst thing to happen to me. I'm just upset, okay? I really, really don't want to get killed because some kid needed to get laid. There are a lot of reasons I'm okay with dying but that's not one of them."

"That's not going to happen, I promise."

"Right."

He grabbed the chain of her swing, causing to stop moving back and forth and her knees crashed into his. "I've never lied to you, have I? I've never broken a promise."

"You can't—"

"I can. I promise you that I will do absolutely everything to keep you safe. Everything. I _promise_ Mae."

After all that, he assumed she would be mad, annoyed at the very least. For the longest time, she just stared at him, studied his face.

To his surprise, her arms wrapped around his neck. Her cheek was pressed against his and he had to admit that he relished the softness of her cheek and the lingering remains of her perfume. He knew it was out of desperation and worry more than anything else. Still, he let her cling to him and he wrapped his arms around her middle.

He held on to her tightly, pressed an almost imperceptible kiss to the top of her head. She smelled so good and if it weren't for the chains of the swing, it might have been comfortable, maybe even pleasurable. He rubbed her back as he kept her close to his body. "I promise it'll be okay. You hear me Red, I promise."

She wanted to believe him and as long as he held her, she almost could. His hands stroked comfortingly over her back with a warmth and reassurance that Dean rarely thought he possessed.

"Can I—I'm just gonna tell you this Mae, then I'll drop it, but I think you were one of the best parts of my life growing up. I wish you felt that way too."

"I never said I didn't." She pulled back. "I said I shouldn't have slept with you, not when I did. I was 15 and that was just too young for me. I shouldn't have had sex with anyone then. At least you were… you cared about me. I don't regret the you part of that. "

He pushed her hair behind her ear. "You didn't have to."

"I wanted to…I didn't want you to lose interest."

Dean laughed, harder than he meant. "Mae. That was never a risk."

"C'mon, you didn't want to wait."

"I mean, yeah. But if you told me you weren't ready, I would have listened and waited."

Once again, she studied him as he asked her to believe him with those honest and bare eyes. There were times when she could fully trust him, and she could see now that the fears she had about him or his feelings towards her were unfounded in that moment. "So, you know, I wasn't saying I regretted everything about us or anything. Just that things could have been different. You know, we could have been those two."

"Are you crazy?"

"Not the spell part. We're not that dumb but two kids who didn't fit in, who were too young to know better."

"I don't know what to tell you Mae. I was… dammit, I was so in love with you, I couldn't see straight. I loved you even when you were painfully skinny, flat chested, and gawky. It was never because you were willing to sleep with me. I loved you no matter what."

At first, she frowned, offended by his statement but at the teasing glint in his eyes, she let herself smile. "You don't think those kids felt that way? Just because they were idiots doesn't mean they didn't feel the same way. Idiots fall in love too."

"Well, idiots we may be but we're not the kind of idiots who let loose a bunch of demons."


	33. Chapter 33

* * *

"So, how was your date?"

"It wasn't a date."

"It totally was a date."

"It wasn't- it was fine."

"You get what you wanted?"

"Meaning?"

"I'm not dumb Mae. I know there something... I guess something you think you can get from him. Although, it's probably not sex, since he's not here. or he's really quick."

Rolling her eyes, she cast her eyes back to him. "Jesus...why do you care if I sleep with someone?"

It was still dark, only the scant and dingy light from a streetlight cast yellowing light around the area. Dean still avoided her gaze. "Because... well, I guess that's where I thought we were headed. I mean, in a non-spell way. And I don't like the idea of someone else..."

"What if I like that idea?"

"Is that what you're saying?"

With her lips pursed, she though on his question and started to swing a bit. The squeak of the metal punctuated the awkwardness reassuringly, she thought. "No, not really. But I don't particularly like the idea that you think you can stake some claim on me."

"C'mon, I'm not...I suppose I'm a little jealous but..."

The small admission made her smile. She appreciated the candor and decided she could share some of her own. "Dean, I was never going to sleep with him. I'm certainly not planning on sleeping with your brother. But I am not just some...my only function is not to sleep with whatever nearest man is available."

"So... you're open to chicks too?"

She didn't want him to see the quirk of her lips. God help her, she was genuinely amused by him. "You know what I mean."

He sighed. "I guess I just want to know what you want."

"Hey, if you just want to sleep with me, we can have sex right here, at this creepy playground. I mean, we can bang it out, solve this case or kill me or whatever happens, and go our separate ways."

"I don't just want sex with you, okay? I also want sex in addition to...I don't know, whatever the hunter equivalent of dating is. If we have to put a name to whatever it is I want. Is that something you want?"

"Dating. That sounds somehow... off"

"I don't know what you want to call it Mae. Goddammit! Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

"I'm not being stubborn." Her shoulders sagged as she let out a long breath, "I don't know what I want, and I certainly don't know what it's called. I like spending time with you, when we aren't fighting, and... yeah, I'm still attracted to you. But I don't know what this ends up being. I guess I need time to figure out what I want. If that's a deal breaker for you or...if you need to move on while I figure things out, then by all means."

"I wasn't-are those the only options? It seems like there's something between fighting, having creepy playground sex, being friends, or never seeing each other again."

"Given the way you're reacting to me being in the same room with other men, it seems like there's only one, maybe two of those things you're interested in."

"Some of that might be this spell nonsense."

"Some of it might be."

"You seem resigned. Do you not want...any of it with me?"

She shook her head and stopped swinging. "No, that's not what I'm saying. First, I'm just tired of this case. I don't feel good and I don't want to add having to define what we are to each other in the mix. Second, I...maybe the thing you are picking up on, the thing you think I can get from him-implying that I can't get it from you-is...he and I have this weird connection, to a friend and...I thought be nice to talk about it but...it was more painful than I expected."

"Who?"

"Does it matter?"

"It matters to you."

"Yeah."

It was too early to discuss so many loaded and emotional subjects, but he thought she might actually tell him something more on this subject. "So that's it?"

"I just don't want to talk about it anymore."

"But you'll tell a complete stranger?"

"No. I didn't- you don't know what happened, okay? And I need you to listen to me when I say this isn't one of those negotiable areas for me. You just...I need you to leave it be, okay?"

He put his hands up in surrender. "Okay, fine. I just think it's...you know, you can trust me."

"It's not about trust. It's about...moving on."

Looking back over at the young woman, Dean tried to figure out what the hell she meant by that. Mae was cryptic, even by his standards. "Well...anything else come up?"

"Um, I thought the next place we should check out is this place on the map called 'mystery cemetery' but if we have this kid...maybe we don't need to."

"We should see what Sammy found out then. You good to go back?"

Mae and Dean stayed on the rickety swing set for a while longer in relative silence before heading back to the motel. Opening up to anyone always made Mae uncomfortable but it was particularly odd with Dean. He had a disturbing ability to make her feel safe, which would then throw her kilter.

Her reactions to him were just as odd, just as off kilter. Sometimes defensiveness came with ease, sometimes it was warmth and acceptance and she often knew that even she didn't know how she'd react. Things between them hadn't always been that difficult. Was it the spell? Was it the years she let him believe a lie about her? It could have been both.

Once again, she felt like she should never have come on this job. This job would have been easier for the boys to handle without her. It was hardly the first time she had that thought. She felt too much for Dean and keeping her distance seemed increasingly difficult. The fighting and uncertainty over whether they controlled their actions or if something more sinister motivated them kept the pair apart now, not a desire to keep each other at arms' length. Distance was imperative, for the time being at least. They had work to do. And she had a mission to accomplish before she let herself get lost in some foolish exploration of feelings. Now wasn't the time to let her heart start calling the shots.

Dean wanted so deeply to find something he could say that would bring a sense of closure, that would make Mae finally see how he felt and believe it. He wasn't sure why it had been so easy to let go of his prior hostility towards her. Having been able to talk and understand the situation more helped. But, he suspected, he never wanted to be that angry with her. It had been such an unexpected and uncharacteristic move that it never fit with his view of her. Knowing that there was a reason behind the liaison with his father lessened the hurt.

Even if it had all been intentional, he thought, he still might have been able to come around on the idea, because he and Mae weren't actually dating at the time and it did seem to be a one-time thing. More importantly, he too liked spending time with her, when they weren't fighting. He liked talking to her, when they weren't fighting. Something about the woman drove him crazy and whenever he felt like he made progress, she shutdown.

He wasn't under the illusion that there would be an easy reconciliation or a magic word that would fix everything between them. Neither friendship nor romance would happen overnight. But this was bigger than any personal issues they had. The one thing he had determined was something had happened to her that he was oblivious to or she had never told him. And he had no idea how to work with that. If they could get through all of this, without being killed, maybe then there might be a chance to fix what was wrong. Until then, they just had to deal with what they had. When they got back to her room and entered, Mae and Dean found Sam there alone.

"Where's the kid?" They asked in unison.

Occasionally, their synchronicity was humorous, other times almost creepy. Right now, it fell somewhere between the two. The only thing stopping it from being funnier was the protective way Dean hovered behind her, a worried look on his face. Particularly when contrasted with the mask of calm that the woman wore. Whatever had happened bothered both only she was trying to keep it hidden.

"In the can. Are you alright Mae?"

"Jesus. Will you both stop? I'm fine."

"Really because-"

"She's fine Sam."

Again, the look on Dean's face said the opposite and indicated there was more to talk about. Later. Sam gave a slight nod and let it go.

Mae crossed to the small table and took a seat with such a weary sigh Sam glanced over at his brother for any indication of what to do. But his brother was watching her just as intently as ever. "Did he tell you anything new?" She asked.

"Yeah. He came up with this." Sam picked up a strange looking book and rose to hand it to her.

Her fingers slid questioningly over the cover. "Do I even need to open this to know what it is?"

Sam smirked, although it was hollow. "It's the real deal."

"Of course, it is. You don't stumble upon this sort of thing just by accident."

She didn't open the book because for the moment she wanted to pretend that things couldn't get worse. Of course, she knew that lie was just as false as any other she tried to tell herself. Opening that book would only prove what she feared. The book would do away with any of the illusions they had about the spell.

The cover was in English, Gothic script and all; just what a naive occultist might want to seduce a girl. Only, it was all wrong because the spells hadn't been translated correctly. Without opening it, she knew what was on those pages. So, she just handed it to Dean.

He flipped the book open, leafing through the pages. He saw just enough to know that this wasn't a prop, it wasn't a toy. "Good God… this is the real deal."

"Told ya." Sam said knowingly.

Grant exited the bathroom then and even if he hadn't been listening to the three strangers, he knew they were talking about him. "I didn't know."

The look on the redhead's face wasn't any more forgiving but she certainly looked tired, more than before. "Yeah well… where the hell did you get this?"

"Some guy…online." He answered Mae's question nervously.

Her eyebrow arched comically. "Next time, stick to porn, you'll get into a lot less trouble with that."

"You gotta understand-"

"Understand? What I understand, kid, is that you started messing with something you had no business messing with. I don't care why. All I care about is cleaning up your mess."

Neither Winchester brother argued with Mae this time as she scolded the young man. Grant nervously fussed with the collar of his shirt before sitting on the edge of the bed. He reached out for the book again.

Dean frowned, and grabbed the book, for safe keeping. "Dude, you think you're getting this back? Believe me pal I don't think you can be trusted with Velcro shoes let alone anything like this. This is mine now."

Mae's lips curved in a smirk at Dean. "Yeah kiddo, you're totally under house arrest. You'll be lucky if I don't tie you down."

"Actually Red, I think he's lucky you don't kick the shit out of him."

"I wanted to, but you boys seemed opposed to it."

Grant frowned and shifted again, uncomfortable with the way the man and woman spoke so casually about her beating him. He didn't doubt that she could or would, given the opportunity. The only one of the three who seemed to be on his side was the younger one, Sam. He wasn't even sure who these people were or why he thought he would be remotely safe with them.

"I just wanted… she was into this witch stuff. None of it was supposed to be real, it wasn't. I just wanted..." It wasn't the right thing to say but the young man had no better arguments to convince his skeptical audience that he hadn't meant to hurt anyone.

Contempt was hard to hide and even if she wanted to, she wouldn't have kept it from coloring her next words. "To screw her? You didn't just exploit something stupid, you got your little love muffin killed, alright? She died because you're a horny moron."

"Mae," Sam rebuked lightly, "maybe you should ease up."

"I don't know, she's got a point. Kid's an idiot. You don't go dicking around with this stuff especially if you don't know what you're doing."

"It was a mistake."

This time the three hunters were on the same page as they answered in unison. "Oh, you think?

Mae sighed, raking a hand through her hair. "You know Grant, you're a moron and I hope you don't get laid for the next 20 years."

* * *

Gratefully, Grant escaped to the other room. Hanging out in some dingy motel room with three weirdos was not his first choice but he had seen the redhead and shorter man snooping around, going to all the places he and Angela had been, the important places the spell seemed to impact them. He followed them and now he was stuck with them. But he knew he wanted to be anywhere the woman wasn't, so he jumped at the chance to escape her cold glare when the asked him to step out.

Left with the other two hunters now, Sam tucked his hands in his pockets as he rocked back on his heels. He needed to know what the hell was wrong with the two of them. This wasn't the fighting energy that had started out the job, but it also wasn't their agreeable energy either. Several reasons existed to put either of them in bad moods, but he wanted to isolate at least one explanation.

"Hey so… is everything alright?" Sam finally asked.

"It's fine." Dean answered, almost believably as he shifted closer to the redheaded hunter. When his hand fell on the back of her chair she sighed and ran her hand through her tangle of hair.

"Dean and I slept together."

Both Sam and Dean grew wide-eyed with surprise at the confession but both for different reasons. "What, just then…when you went outside? After what we just learned? You thought-"

"Dude gross! No not just then, last night. And from what Harry Porker over there described… we're probably the next on the demon hit parade. Or at least I am."

If he could have commanded her to look at him by staring at her, he would have won her attention in only a few seconds. She had said so much in only matter of moments that he wasn't sure where to start. "Gross? Since when is sex with me gross?"

"No offense Dean."

"Yes, offense. It may not have been pretty, but it wasn't worthy of that gross."

Sam cleared his throat. "I don't think this is what we should spend our time arguing about, guys. Unless, you want to get possessed. That's what that spell does, you know. It seems to prep human hosts with sex.:

"Awesome," Mae slumped in the chair, defeated.

Sam continued. "I haven't read the whole book, but I know that girl was possessed, this idiot kid will probably get it next and now you're in danger."

"I could finally get that last badge for girl scouts, in demonic possession."

"This is serious Mae!" Sam complained.

"Oh really? Because I totally forgot that the last girl who got her ass possessed was burned from the inside out when this thing got all up in her. I had been thinking, 'hey awesome I could have a new bestie'."

While she hadn't worked out all the details and she would likely feel less glib once they had read the spell, figured out if there was a good counter spell or not, she wasn't ready to just roll over and take it. Of course, Sam felt the case had suddenly grown more out of control but had yet to arrive at the sense of snarky acceptance that Mae had.

"Well why the hell did you to sleep together after I told you my dream."

Dean corrected his brother. "We didn't. It happened before that."

"And maybe a little during."

Dean hid his smirk behind a less than subtle caught but no one in the room bought it. Sam just didn't care. "Okay, still gross. I can't believe-"

"Of all the crazy ass stuff we see, we live you would think you wouldn't have such a hard time believing something. Even if we'd know Sam, I don't think it would have mattered much. Neither me or Dean were able to… stop. You get how strong that spell was and there's nothing we can do to change it, so let's not dwell on it."

"Maeby's right. Although, I'd still like to point out that I'm not gross."

"Duly noted. I'll update all those notes I left in random bathroom stalls." Mae teased.

"Well," Sam interjected, "I'm going to go over this book with Grant and maybe we can figure out how to undo all this. Can the two of you be trusted to keep your pants on if I leave you alone for five minutes?"

"Har har Sam."

Sam smirked.

Dean took a seat next to Mae at the table after Sam left her room. The new information made things more complex but if finally felt like they were making progress and had something solid to move on. After Sam disappeared through the open door, making sure to leave it open Mae and Dean were alone in her room. Mae hoped Dean would give up on being stubborn for a change and join his brother. She knew he wouldn't, but she still had the lingering glimmer of being left alone.

Mae stood, even as Dean reached over to her, intending to lay a reassuring hand over hers. He watched her pace with a calm she couldn't find yet. "Dude, since when did guys need to lie that much to get into a girl's pants?"

Brow creased with skepticism, he laughed at her. Confused, she shook her head questioningly as she stopped her pacing. "What?"

"Two words: French Kiss." He said.

His responses did little to alleviate the creases that peaked between her brows. "Uh, I thought that was sort of… you know something guys wanted to do too. I mean I've never gotten any complaints."

"No, I mean the movie. We went to that movie like 6 times Mae. Do you think I really love it that much?"

She shrugged and then she tried to even remember the movie. "I think you're exaggerating a bit. I can't imagine going that many times."

"Believe me, we did. You have a weird thing for Kevin Kline. It's really weird."

She sat cross-legged on the bed. "Maybe, I don't know but...you didn't convince me to sleep with you because you took me to some rom-com."

"That is 100 percent why I went."

"When did I ever get to pick the movie? I mean if there were something better."

"Since you go those," He pointed towards her chest, eliciting a roll of the eyes from her, "I passed up going to a Die Hard movie because I thought there was a chance I'd get to third base if we went to that awful movie." He thought she was mad but then she laughed.

"I could see being upset if it were the first Die Hard but after that… and dude, that was never going to get you anywhere with me."

"But I did."

She scoffed. "Not because of that movie."

"All the same, guys are idiots when it comes to cute freaky chicks."

"Clearly but I'm pretty sure yours was a normal idiocy. Picking Kevin Kline over Bruce Willis never got anyone killed."

Finally, Dean got up joined her on the bed. "That you know of. You know what?"

In that move the playful attitude shifted for her just a bit. He leaned in towards her and she pulled back as he let his eyes lock with hers. "What?" She asked quietly.

"You owe me a good movie… 6 actually."

Her laugh was nerves and relief because that was the last thing, she expected Dean to say. "6? No way. It's not like we didn't go to the movie you wanted. I don't owe you anything."

"You so do."

"Um didn't you assume that's why I slept with you? Don't you consider us even?"

"No! Not now anyway. I still had to watch that 6 more times than I want."

"It was a cute movie!"

He shook his head with joking disapproval. "No no, you owe me action or higher."

"You're delusional." She bowed her head as she shook it in disbelief to hide the smile that had taken its place on her face. When she raised her head, she found Dean's intense stare coupled with a quirky little grin. "What?"

"I really do like you."

'Yeah, okay" she said abruptly as she pulled away and tried to scoot away, trying to escape from whatever he was starting on, "that's…"

"True?" He grabbed her wrist lightly, preventing her means of escape.

"Dean."

"Why are you so uncomfortable around me?"

"Really? That's your question?"

"Well… fair enough but—this doesn't feel like the spell and I know you've noticed that we get along better."

I… yeah, I didn't ever question that but now is not the time to discuss any of this. Besides… we sort of got stuck in something that isn't as easy to fix as that spell."

He let go of her hand. He was beginning to think that he would have no luck in getting her to the place he wanted her to be. "I guess."

Mae shook her head. "If you really want to get all sensitive and talk about it, we will. But not when I'm next in line to host a demon soiree in my meat suit. "

"I can't believe you actually make me want to go all touchy feely."

"Oh whatever. You don't need much reason to gush your feelings all over the place."

Dean grinned. "Smart ass."


	34. Chapter 34

* * *

Mae regarded Dean with some annoyance as he stayed seated on the bed with her. While Sam had the common sense of good graces to take his interrogation of Grant Tanner to the other room, Dean had remained in hers. Normally, both Mae and Dean would have seen his presence as over familiar. Too much had happened between them to claim that they weren't anything else. It wasn't just the sex; they had both been more earnest with the other than with most people.

She was tired. Tired of feeling like they were chasing their tails, tired of dealing with Dean's jealousy, and tired of having to reveal personal information. More than that, she was just physically tired too. Briefly, she considered fighting with Dean to get him to leave her room. That approach had yet to yield success. He wasn't jealous this time but was overly protective.

It merited a different response. Maybe ignoring him would work. She uncoiled her legs and stretched out to lay down. Mae fluffed the motel pillow a bit, missing her real bed all the more, before laying her head down and closing her eyes.

Dean watched her, brow furrowed. He rubbed his hands over his pants, wondering what he should do. Logically, he assumed she wanted him to leave her be and perhaps he should have. Something compelled him to stay. He needed to stay and watch over her, regardless of the inclination that he should leave or understanding that he didn't have a good reason to stay.

Stretching out, he lay down beside her, propping head up on his hand. Her eyes tipped open slightly. "I'm tired Dean."

"Then sleep."

"I-you're in my bed."

"I'm a little tired too."

"I didn't invite you to sleep here, you know."

"I know. But my room is otherwise occupied right now, and I don't think I'd be able to get any sleep there."

His voice was smooth, and his eyes were that hypnotic shade of green. She felt her pulse quicken as his eyes locked with hers. It wasn't fair. Most of the time she could ignore her reactions to him, at the very least hid them but with Dean, she felt utterly exposed, like he could read every thought and emotion that fluttered through her.

He watched her emotions play in her big eyes before, as he hoped, she cracked. "God, I hate this."

Dean smirked. "What, sharing a bed with me and knowing we're not gonna hook up?"

Scoffing, Mae relaxed slightly. "Hardly that. I mean, how hanging out with you… it feels like old times sometimes, like we could pick up right where we left off. But then...it's pretty clear we can't."

"That's not how I was feeling at all. Just the opposite inf fact. And how do you know we can't pick up where we left off? We could if we tried."

Her eyes fluttered shut. "Even if everything was perfect between us...you know we're different people now."

"You say that like it's a bad thing. We might have changed some but we're still the same. And you can't deny that there's something here still. I don't know what it is exactly but we... we've still got something. "

"It's not a bad thing. It's just a think. But dude, I don't want to rehash any of this right now, okay? Haven't we had enough therapy for the day? We've got bigger problems."

"Do we? Sam's got that book, that kid is terrified of you, so we've got that covered. There's nothing else you can do right now and…"

As Dean trailed off, she opened her eyes again. "What?"

"I don't think you should be alone."

Mae didn't care for Dean's new-found dedication to discussing things or protecting her, largely because it was difficult to argue against, given the current state of affairs. For her, the worst part was wanting to talk to him, wanting to spend time with him. She liked him too much, liked talking to him but knew that she was on shaky ground already. "So, lying in my bed, whispering is your solution?"

"I'd say we're on bed, not in. And we're kinda talking normally… and yeah, that's my solution."

"Well we're not alone here Dean. Your brother and that amateur demon fan are in the other room, probably listening to us."

"Let 'em. What has either of us said that we couldn't say in front of anyone else?"

Her stomach quivered, rather pleasurably at the look in his eyes. They were nearly nose to nose and in fact exchanging somewhat hushed tones. Being this close to him made her want to believe more existed between them than any sort of wayward spell. She even wanted to believe that more than having been close in the past made her feel the sense of security and arousal that she did now.

Dean certainly believe there was more, believed it was something worthwhile and Mae didn't understand why or how he could feel so strongly about that. Their relationship was one that made sense, at least superficially but she felt just as certain that there was no hope for it, at least not right now.

He cupped her cheek with his free hand and quickly moved to kiss her. It was teasing and challenging all at the same time. He didn't impose on her exactly, if she wanted, she could have ended it. Even when he shifted to cover, he slightly. But she didn't want to stop him right then. It wasn't just a kiss but an offer.

He wanted to push past all their issues in every attempt he made at either making amends or trying to make her mad. She could feel that in his kisses. She didn't know if it was a conscious choice or instinct. He was trying to get her open up one way or another so that things could return to normal, that was abundantly clear to her.

Originally, he had only meant to lie down next to her and try to doze for a while. Kissing her, let alone enjoying it was secondary. But being so close to her, close enough to see the light smattering of freckles over the bridge of her nose and along one cheek, being able to make out the shifts of color in her slate blue eyes, and practically being able to feel the softness of her lips against his, he was helpless. He was overcome with an all too familiar feeling when he found himself in such close proximity to her. He knew he should have gone against the impulse to kiss her, against the impulse to be close to her.

In the moment however, Dean couldn't deny how right it felt to exchange those tender kisses or be near to her. If he let himself, he could let himself believe she was his. The voice in the back of his mind reminded him that soon enough, she would stop him, make an excuse, and push him away. So, he settled on the notion that for the time he had left, before she changed her mind, she was his.

To his surprise, she seemed receptive. Her slender fingers curled in his hair. He felt her shift, heard her hand searching over the surface of the nightstand before he heard the scuffling sound of plastic against wood and finally the sound of the TV going on. Only for a moment did he open his eyes to look at her, but he didn't break contact with her. Maybe she anticipated it, he thought because her eyes were open too, hazy with desire. It was a counter measure, just in case a nosy younger brother came to investigate. Still kissing her, he smiled.

God, he loved the woman. The thought made him pause, even while she continued. It had been a long time since he'd admitted the felt that way towards her. But he did, he loved her. His hand fell gently on her hip as he leaned over her. Mae's free hand spread an inviting warmth over his stomach as she it moved under his shirt. How long had it been since she had touched him affection like this? Everything was imperfect, but he could ignore all of it because things felt right. It felt like old times. Having her in his arms again made their past seem far less distant. As his hand slid from her hip, over the denim of her hastily thrown on jeans and up her stomach under her shirt, she gasped.

"Stop, stop, stop," She mumbled as she pushed him away, "Dean."

At some point, he stopped wanting to prove to her that their chemistry was enough to merit trying to work things out. His focus had become only about being with her. "We're not doing anything, we're just-"

She knew what they were doing and because it was so easy drown in sensation and pleasure, she had to stop before they got carried away. "We should stop, okay?"

"Okay, yeah."

"Your hand's still on my breast, Dean."

It was. One of hers was on his stomach, the other on the back of his head. At least she wasn't angry, there was even a hint of a laugh in her pretty blue eyes. "Yeah well… can ya blame me?"

"Oh my God, you're still a 15-year-old boy!"

She shoved him away lightly, although he was already moving his hand out from under her shirt. "Well you are uh, far from a 15-year-old girl."

"That is a totally creepy thing to say." She said as she rolled up and swung her legs off the side of the bed.

"You know what I mean." Dean sighed as he sat up, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Listen, Mae… that wasn't, I mean I don't think that was a spell or anything. I really wanted to kiss you this time."

"Yeah, I know. I can tell the difference, you know. Besides, you haven't exactly been shy when it comes to shoving your tongue down my throat."

"Hey, you keep kissing me back."

"I know that too. Maybe if you were worse at it."

"I'm not sure I can do that, even for you."

"If things were different..." She sighed, knowing that things would have to be a lot different for her to feel like it was the right time for them to follow up on their obvious attraction, "right now, is not the time to act like horny teenagers. They're a dying breed in these parts."

Dean smiled just a little as she ran her hand through her hair. Because her back was to him, he slid a little closer, so he could push her hair over one shoulder and pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her neck before sitting on the side of the bed next to her. "So… we okay?"

"Yeah."

She paused just long enough to tell him things weren't okay "Mae-"

"Don't. Don't start. I'm just… in a weird place."

"I am too, you know. I guess I just feel...more like myself when I'm close to you."

Her expression was unreadable as she looked at him. He wasn't sure if she were mad, confused, or thought he was lying. But it was the abject truth. For every conflict, disagreement, and hurt, he somehow felt more normal around her and couldn't explain it in any way.

Mae shook her head, mostly to clear the conflicting thoughts she had about Dean circling her mind. "We need to stop these demons We need to get ahead of it."

"Right well… if you're right and you are a target because we had spell sex then… then what's the harm in us-"

Her glare cut him off first before she spoke. "Don't you finish that sentence. I will kick your ass. I know what you're thinking."

"No, you don't. You think you know but you don't," He lied, they both knew what he was suggesting. "I'm sorry okay? I'm sorry I got you into this situation. But I promise you, you will not end up on that slab. I'll stop this."

Her frown deepened when his hand settled on her knee. "See, that's your problem. You didn't get me into _anything_. You asked me to come but I came here because I wanted to. You asked me to stay and I stayed here because I wanted to. And I fucked you because that's what I wanted too. You're not the only one responsible here. We're both responsible and we're both at risk here." Mae sighed. "We're both screwed here Dean."

He let his eyes wander over her face. That burning need to have her was gone. Not gone, he corrected, subdued and channeled more productively. He could be in the same room with her and not slam her up against the wall in a sweaty mess of poorly executed lust. No, now the lust simmered, and the flame was closer to love. She pulled at his heartstrings. Guilt tainted the mix, swirling an uncomfortable but familiar feeling of pain that came with all his failings. "I guess you're right."

"You've said that so often lately, it's starting to sound hollow."

His gaze wandered over her face. He wanted to show her that he could protect her and not because she needed it but because he was the best person to do it. Of course, Mae wasn't just some regular girl caught up in something supernatural who's life he had to save. She was a capable hunter and she knew what was at risk. "I'm starting to think that maybe I've been wrong on a lot of things when it comes to you."

"Oh God, please don't do this. We have talked so much. If I let you have sex with me, can we stop talking about our feelings? I thought Sam was the feelings guy."

"I'm...I understand more, okay? And maybe I would have spent less time just being mad if..."

"Let's just be clear here; If you're thinking there's something more about what happened between your dad and me that might make you feel less betrayed, there isn't."

"No that wasn't what I was thinking. I was thinking about after you got hurt. Maybe you didn't come back for a good reason."

"You know that didn't have to do with you either, right? I mean...you were the reason I would have stayed. But... I almost died Dean. I'd been..." she closed her eyes, knowing that she wasn't ready to discuss everything she had to tell him about that. "I just couldn't stay with you."

"No, I get that. I'm the one who held you that night Mae. Your blood was all over my hands and I prayed harder than I thought possible for you to just make it to the hospital. I was willing to do anything to keep you alive. I get the situation that night. But you didn't die. You weren't permanently injured, and you started hunting again. So, I don't know why you didn't try to do that with me."

"I didn't make any of those recoveries or decisions all at once. It was a progression. That wasn't exactly the easiest part of my life Dean and a lot of that had nothing to do with you. It wasn't like I left you because of you. I left for me, which I know is not something you really understand but… it wasn't like everything about my youth was tied up in you."

"I know that. But we were… we had a good thing Mae. I would have-"

"Dean, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that it didn't turn out the way you wanted. It's not like I was overjoyed or trying to ditch you. I loved you, I really did and if I thought... didn't leave because I thought you weren't good enough or that you wouldn't have done what you could have to take care of me, okay? I tried though, don't you remember?

"You tried to what?"

"To get back with you." At his still blank stare, she continued, "It was your 19th birthday. I took a damn bus half way across the country to find you."

"You stayed two days before saying you had to go and then you didn't talk to me for four years."

It was true and for the first time she saw exactly how that move had hurt him. "I know that." She whispered, "I—I just realized that I couldn't be, well I couldn't be any sort of girl you'd want to be with, in the long run."

"What? You are crazy."

He could accept that things between them fell apart for a good reason, not because she got a foolish idea in her head or because she thought he couldn't or wouldn't take care of her.

"Dean… it's so pointless to get into this now."

"I know but for the record, I don't what kind of girl you thought I wanted to be with but honestly, I just wanted to be with you, whoever you were."

Mae shook her head and she held the hand that rested on her knee. "No, you—you just... I don't think there's anything I can tell you now that would make you understand. Besides, it's in the past and there's nothing we can do to fix that. I'm sorry. I really am. I know that I hurt you. That's pretty much the only thing I can do consistently but I am sorry that I've hurt you so many times. Can we not keep digging up the past though, please?"

He had hit a nerve alright, again not intentionally so. But if he could figure out what happened to the woman, the details he didn't have, maybe he could convince her that it was okay. "Yeah alright," He said.


	35. Chapter 35

* * *

Sam told himself not to eavesdrop. Privacy had always been a rare commodity growing up. Somehow Mae and Dean had found a way to keep the extent of their relationship mostly hidden. It still struck him as odd that the two had been as close as they were, and he hadn't realized just _how_ close. And now he realized how little he had paid attention, perhaps even ignoring the pair.

Right then however, he wanted to know what was going on between them exactly. They both had a few secrets and seemed intent on keeping most of them from him. He needed to know how much was part of this spell and how much was none of his business. Mae's revelation that at least part of his vision was accurate did little to explain everything going on between the pair or why neither would fully heed his warning.

All of that was moot at this point, Sam realized. There were more important things to address right then and he had a job to do. Since he couldn't really hear what was going on, he needed to turn back to the kid. If he could find a way to undo the spell and free Mae and Dean before either of them was hurt any more than they had been already, whatever was going on between the pair wouldn't really matter.

But then something occurred to him; only Mae and Dean seem impacted by the spell. After all, he'd spent enough time with the woman, in the same places and had none of the same feelings for her. He was aware that she was an attractive woman but that was the end of it for him. He held no ill-will towards her, nor did he want anything sexual with her. So why did Dean? Outside of the usual reasons, he corrected. But unlike those usual reasons, this was pushed to the extreme, forced and unnatural.

Dean and Mae had indicated as much; neither of them could say exactly what they had done or why they were doing those things. They couldn't determine why they were acting with such uninhibited anger. Those impulses existed below the surface but nowhere near as intense or dangerous. Was that part of the reason the reason the spell worked? Did it only amplify their negative emotions, or could it work on the good ones as well?

Grant and Angela could hardly have the same kind of history and issues that Dean and Mae had. But they seemed to a similar fate. Except, quicker. The hunters didn't succumb as quickly, probably because they hadn't cast it in the first place. To his chagrin Sam had noticed that after his brother and Mae had sex, they seemed to be better. They were seemingly more agreeable, certainly more rational.

Under different conditions, watching the pair might almost be interesting if not perfectly predictable. Dean tended to follow his instincts and believed he was making progress to his ultimate goal with her. Sam wasn't sure what that was any more. At first, he though perhaps he just wanted to sleep with her again, then he thought perhaps he wanted revenge, but now he wasn't sure at all. He didn't think of his brother as a relationship type person, but Mae wasn't a casual hookup either.

Mae on the other hand seemed to follow completely different instincts and rather than try to forge ahead with whatever arrangement they would come to, they would reach a certain level of closeness before she would pull away. The woman always seemed like one who needed to be in control and both Dean and this job didn't lend themselves to that at this point.

Dean had expressed only slight unease and displeasure with her treatment on him, mostly before they started working on this job. His brother liked the chase, to some extent. He also knew that while Dean expected some of her resistance, he would still be hurt by it.

The whole situation made him look at his brother in a different way; it was clear that not only was Mae his brother's first love, he still loved her, and was hoping she would love him back. Sam wasn't so sure that Mae would or could reciprocate. That didn't make her a bad or unkind person, but they were both in different places than they had be years ago. Mae was still a good hunter and a great partner to have in their fights. Even if she couldn't help them find their dad, maybe she could help his brother.

For Dean's sake, Sam hoped Mae figured out what she wanted with his brother sooner rather than later. If she didn't have feelings for him or couldn't love him again, that she would soften the blow and not lead him on. Because this seemed to be something more complex than sex or revenge, his brother wouldn't be able to let it go if Mae left any room for question or hope. The man held on tight to people he loved and if Mae fell into that category...

While he didn't know Mae as well any more, he suspected the reason she put herself through all of this had to be for a good reason. It wasn't just random happenstance that brought them back together. It seemed like there was something still worth following for both of them. It was painfully clear the pair still had a strong connection. That had to be part of the key behind why the spell was affecting them the way it was.

Even if Sam weren't lost in his thoughts in those moments, Mae and Dean made it difficult to eavesdrop, even with the door open. They weren't particularly loud. They weren't arguing. And if they were speaking, it was too softly, hardly a scratch of whispered tones before the TV went on. Hell, if there was something to hear, he wasn't going to be able to hear it now.

* * *

"We need to stop speculating on this."

Her hand still covered his as it rested over her knee and Dean wished there were something, anything that he could say to shift things back to good again, comfortable again. "Yeah, listen, why don't you stay here and try to get some rest. I'll head over there with Sam and we'll take care of the kid."

"I don't need to be handled here. I can deal with both you and the kid, okay?"

Taking his hand off her leg with some reluctance, he shook his head. "I thought you were tired and if you are, you should get some sleep while you can. You need to be on the top of your game, okay? Besides, that kid is terrified of you and you got kinda... upset last time."

The look in her blue gray eyes was half amused, half annoyed. "Yes, next time I hear about some absolute moron casting a demon date rape spell, I'll be super cool about it."

"That's not what I'm saying. And I'm not...trying to accuse you of being over emotional. You should totally be pissed and that kid's a moron. I'm saying if you want to… I don't know, not talk to that kid, me and Sam can do it and you can work your magic on sorting out how to solve this."

She stood and paced, back and forth in front of him as he sat on the bed. "No, no… to undo this, we need to know exactly what they did. I don't think it's all in that book and between the three of us, I think we'll be able to put something together. Besides I don't know that I can get back to sleep so...How much do you suppose they knew when they did this?"

"Clearly not a lot."

"It would be almost funny if it weren't getting people killed. I mean the lengths he was going to get laid."

Dean loved watching her. Even when she was stressed, a little overtired, he loved seeing her mind work. "I get that part."

"I don't think you ever had to work that hard."

"Well...I'm not as weaselly."

"True. Would you have done something like this?"

He let his eyes roam over her. He found it somewhat humorous that he'd always found her as attractive as he did. It was easy to see now, with her long legs, agile frame, and big, soft eyes. "To get with you? No. I mean, we both would have known better and it wouldn't have impressed you anyway. If I recall, you were into automotive repair, me taking my shirt off, and weirdly cooking."

"I'm still into all of those things."

"For the record, I'm still capable of most of those things."

He managed to ease a light smirk out of her. "Hopefully, you're a better cook."

"I could be, if that helps you."

"All the same, it's just-how the hell dose a dumbass kid even... think this through with me, okay? The how...I mean you buy a spell or a spell book or anything like that off the internet and it's almost guaranteed to be fake, right?"

"Usually, yeah. You could get some real things but yeah I'd wager most of its face."

"And then this kid here, this weaselly moron not only finds a genuine spell book but it's this huge whammy of a thing. How does that happen?"

"Are you saying it was some kind of set up? Who the hell would target some nobody kid?"

"Who would let a book with a spell as powerful as this one go to a kid like that?"

Dean shook his head. "I don't know that you and I can answer that."

"I know. I'm just thinking...it's weird. This spell is bigger than this kid, than this town...hopefully not bigger than what we can handle."

"I won't let anything happen to you."

She stopped and sighed, on hand on her hip, the other pulling through her messy red hair. Her eyes took measure of the man, handsome, a little tired looking, but mostly concerned and earnest. She could have fought with him, reminded him that she could take care of herself, even though she wasn't certain that she had the tools, skill, or resources to get herself out of the spell. "Well, how about this; I promise the same thing to you."

It couldn't be denied, Mae was a hunter and that wouldn't change. And it made him smirk. "Deal."

"Well," Mae sighed, this time running her hand through her hair to try to make amends of the tangled mess, "it doesn't look like we'll be getting back to sleep anytime soon. I'm gonna get dressed I guess."

"I think you look great.''

Scoffing, she shook her head. "You only think that because I'm not wearing a bra."

"It's a good look on you. But that's not the only reason you look great. With a shrug, he finally stood. It would have been too easy to pull her into another kiss but now wasn't the time and he suspected he would be met with less acceptance this time. "Whatever sweetheart. Why don't you give us a few minutes before you make that kid pee his pants?"

"I'm not that bad."

"Trust me Red, when you're pissed it can be pretty terrifying."

Mae smiled, laughing a little. "You're lucky you're on my good side Winchester."

"For now, just give me a few minutes and I'll be back on top."

"Okay well, I'm gonna see if a quick shower wakes me up the rest of the way so you and your brother can play good cop to my mentally unstable cop."

Chuckling, he watched as she grabbed her bag and headed towards the bathroom. But she paused at the bathroom door before Dean left her room.

"Hey," she said softly "…how much you wanna bet that kid was possessed?"

The thought had crossed his mind and he suspected Sam was on the same track. Although the kid had managed to cross the lines of salt and cat's-eye they had lay down in both rooms. There were no signs that he was currently being controlled but there were ways to test him, Dean thought. Still, he didn't want to cause her any more concern than necessary. "C'mon Mae, you think?"

"Absolutely. How do you think he stayed hidden so long or found us? I mean, it's a small town but it was pretty convenient for him to show up. I think that's the reason that demon tried to take us out in that house."

"Why would it let him go?"

"Maybe it found someone better."

"But that spirit demon didn't take you." Dean said.

Mae had considered that, she had thought of little else. "I don't think it was the one who wanted me, at least not then. I think it was… checking."

"For what?"

"To see if it could. I guess. I don't know."

"You sure?"

"No but-that's what makes sense to me. It's about the only thing that does. Hey so… did Sam mention anything else to you, about his dream?"

"Nothing he didn't tell you too. Why?"

Mae frowned. "I just—you know if his dream means anything, shouldn't more of it be happening."

"No offense, Mae, but I think it's a good sign all around if it doesn't. Why, what happened that makes you wonder all of the sudden?"

"Nothing. That's my point."

Dean crossed his arms and shrugged. "Let's just take a win anyway we can get it."


	36. Chapter 36

* * *

Dean took the lead from Mae. He could play off her 'mentally unstable' cop attitude now. "So, uh, listen if there's something you don't want to say in front of the redhead, I'd say it now."

Nerves wracked Grant Tanner's frame, still scared, and Dean took the time to consider Mae's suggestion. The young man in their motel room may well have been possessed at some point. He might not have even known about it. And he could still be possessed now. They needed to be careful.

"I didn't know-"

Sam would have been soft, friendly. May would have been aggressive, hostile. Dean tried to find the balance between the two in the case. "Yeah we got that. And I'm sure you feel plenty bad about all of this but that doesn't do you or us any good. I want you to tell us everything you can."

"That book, we—I looked for it online and then I found that spell."

"Which spell?" Sam interjected.

"It was the one… it makes me sound like a bad person."

"I don't give a damn how it makes you sound. You can't get a chick without witchcraft that's your problem. We just want to know how to unfuck what you fucked up." the kid looked away from Dean and back to Sam, "Hey if you don't want to talk to us, we can wait 'til Red come back. But believe me, she will make you feel much worse about what you did."

"And she'll probably smack you around some." Sam added.

"It was a binding spell you know, sex magic and I thought it would be more... romantic. I didn't even believe it."

Dean scratched his head even as he shook it disapprovingly. "Clearly, that doesn't matter. And dude, what the hell is up with your sense of romance? If a chick doesn't want to screw with you, you don't get demons involved."

"Yeah, I get that now. It wasn't even good. It was… I know I hurt her, and I didn't want to do that ever."

Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. This kid wouldn't keep from coming back to that.

"Hey Dean," Sam said, recognizing how it seemed to be wearing on his brother's nerves, "why don't you let me handle this?"

Dean felt stupid for not making the connection faster. Of course, Sam knew how Grant was feeling. Sam's act wasn't an act; there was genuine empathy there. It must have been difficult for him, with he and Mae unable to show the same level of compassion or understanding. Dean knew he and Mae were both coming from a different perspective on the spell, on death, on all of it.

"Yeah sure. I'll just be…somewhere else."

* * *

Had Dean always been able to inspire this sort of feeling in her? Mae wished she felt solid about any of this, the job, herself, this spell, Dean, any of it would have been nice. She found the shower an odd but welcome reprieve. The torrent of emotions she'd experienced with him over the past few days made the assessment difficult for her. Prior to that, there had been a so much anger and hurt between them. If she went back to when she was in love with him and knew she was in love with him, they, yes, she felt similar. Being with him back then had been so overwhelming, all consuming. Just like that first love was supposed to be. It was sweet too. Tender, and gentle and somehow that mix never seemed strange.

This time, those emotions did seem strange. Intensity, lust, tenderness, kindness, and affection were all there. So were hurt, anger, mistrust, and jealousy. Those feelings hadn't been there the first time and it soured her original feelings somehow. But it was difficult to know how much was them, how much was the spell, and how much she simply couldn't know.

She felt as if her feeling towards him were a twist of admiration and desire. In retrospect, she knew she found a protector and perhaps a bit of an authority figure in him. As kids, he'd always seemed to know a little more, to be able to take charge and responsibility. She had an instinctive attraction to him as well because he was so close in age to her and unlike any other people they might date, they weren't required to create elaborate lies or alternate personalities for each other.

Dean was her boy next door with just enough danger to captivate any young woman. And yet, even though he might try to bluster with her, pass it off like he didn't care, she knew he would protect her. That seemed to be the same, even when they were fighting on the last job, she was certain he would have tried to protect her. It was abundantly clear now. If there were one role, he consistently cast himself in, it was that of protector and that was an attractive quality in any one.

However, Dean was more than a protector. He awakened so much in her and accepted her for who she was. He'd never tried to change her. It was never difficult to be with him and despite what many assumed, he hadn't pressured her to sleep with him. That pressure came from elsewhere, fear mostly. Her life had never been quite as transient as his; it was, despite the hunting, something rather stable. Except for that looming worry that there was nothing she could do to keep from losing those close to her. Or the far worse fate: having them leave her.

For all their history, for all the fond memories and affection she still felt for him, she didn't understand how he could be so comfortable with her. He was. If their situations were somehow reversed, she knew she wouldn't be as accepting as he was of her. He never revealed why he felt the way he did or why it was so important for him to be with her or make up with her. While she knew she should cut ties with him entirely, she couldn't. She didn't really want him out of her life again.

He made her laugh. In those moments where it was just the two of them, and they let go of all their issues and hang-ups with each other, it felt like it could be good to be with him. Mae growled to herself. Those feelings were a trap, something they couldn't really have long term. Having built her life and the boundaries in her life around the clear rules she decided upon three years ago, it was difficult to feel Dean test those boundaries. She knew he didn't know he was testing them. What she didn't understand about him or herself for that matter was why she put herself in that situation. Her emotions ran too deep for Dean Winchester for them not to resurface. If he'd only stayed mad at her, she could have avoided all of this.

The water seemed to cool, and she realized she wasn't entirely sure how long she had spent in the shower, just thinking. It would do no good for any of them if she spent all her time philosophizing about her past, present or future with Dean Winchester.

* * *

That sharp pang Dean associated with Mae when she entered a room became all too familiar. Familiar but almost welcome. He knew after the initial thrill and pull of attraction passed, it was followed quickly by the knowledge that he shouldn't act on it. Outside of the impact of this spell, it was unclear if Mae even returned it. If she felt the same way he did, even remotely close, she wouldn't have kept pushing him away. It might have made things worse, but he supposed this ego would have been satisfied. Not just his ego, he thought with a little smirk.

All the same, he couldn't stop from admiring her. He wanted to tell himself that he let himself indulge in letting his imagination run rampant because of the spell. It wasn't because of anything he was feeling about her, had been feeling before this whole job started. It certainly wasn't because she had an amazingly body, lean but possessing appealing curves. That soft red hair he always anticipated smelling like strawberries, even though he knew she no longer used that shampoo. And that face that haunted his dreams.

Was it love? Was it lust? Was it obsession? Was it some dumb kid's poorly cast binding spell? The woman made him feel something that touched him some place deep he didn't think still existed. When everyday people felt the way he felt towards her, they fell in love, got married, had babies and did what they were supposed to do. Dean couldn't exactly say what they were supposed to do with those emotions, but it wasn't any of that. It didn't matter if he was the only one feeling this way.

That red spill of hair was pulled back, still damp and in contrast to the primped face she wore before, she was now makeup free. He was more comfortable with that familiar face, finding the hair and makeup a little too glamorous for the way he thought of her. Her pale skin was a little pink from the shower and he suspected she smelled amazing right then. She had already dressed, to his disappointment. Having left the door between their rooms open, it was probably for the best that she wasn't wandering her room in just a towel.

She wore her jeans, a tight gray tee shirt and a green flannel shirt over that. It certainly wasn't the sleek and lovely dress she wore on her date. She looked almost mystical, with steam from the bathroom curling around her. The only thing that distinguished her from any normal girl, even a normal girl who dressed in plaid, was the gun she pointed towards his head when she saw him on her bed. Only a hunter would bring a gun to a shower.

She could be delightfully intimidating. Growing up, he wondered if that skinny redhead with painfully pale skin and wide blue eyes would be able to pull of being a hunter. She had knowledge, skills, and training but back then, she also had a certain hope in her eyes. It faded when she got hurt. After that, it seemed like that innocent part of her died. On the surface, she didn't look that different now, her face had lost some of its youthful roundness and she was a bit curvier, but she was still ghostly pale and her eyes unnervingly large.

And she was downright scary sometimes. She only had the weapon trained on him for a moment before she assessed the situation and lowered the gun. Her eyes flickered towards the closed door a moment. Then, with a frown and a sigh she put her gun on the nearby dresser.

He was sitting on her bed, legs extended and crossed at the ankles. He looked quite comfortable. "What the hell are you doin' back here? Didn't I just get rid of you?"

"Welcoming, Mae real welcoming."

"This is my room. I invite people here or not. And I don't believe I rolled out the welcome mat."

Dean cleared his throat but smiled back at her. "We both forgot that Sammy lost a girlfriend recently."

"What's your- not because he's an idiot. It wasn't his fault. He—oh man, we're stupid sometimes."

Dean put his hands behind his head, leaning back on her bed more. "You know, I believe him. I think that kid was just trying to impress his girl. And things got way outta hand."

Her shoulders relaxed, slightly, even as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, you can't help it if you fall in love with a complete moron."

He knew she was talking more about herself than anyone else. Looking back, he didn't think it wasn't too difficult to get her to sleep with him. Not simple but he never would have needed to endanger anyone's life for it. He might have had to do something stupid to get her in his bed. Of course, for him, stupid meant embarrassing, and maybe because she was his first or maybe because he was in love with her, he did a lot of things for her that he wouldn't do for anyone else.

"Well… I guess Sam'll be more of a help than me or you. You know, understanding how it is to lose something to some big bad."

Dean smirked as Mae walked around the bed he was currently lounging on and sat down too. The television was still on and the simply sat there watching together, even though neither of them were really watching or cared what was on.

It didn't take long before Mae grew anxious and shifted on the bed, mirroring his position in her socked feet. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure." His neutral expression didn't belie the hesitant roll of his stomach. There were so many things she could tell him that he didn't want to hear.

"I don't want you to get bent out of shape about this but...I guess it's on my mind, a bit and I told you I'd tell you later. Your dad and I… it wasn't… hell," She sighed, pushing her hand through her hair, "so you know what happened between us the other night?"

His smirk now was only a phantom of what it should have been, but he could muster little else. "I have a vague memory."

The smile she wore was more nerves and congeniality. "I don't know how to phrase this, and I don't want to get into all these details again but... this whole spell thing, it feels like it did with John except… you know, not as bad."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean neither of us could stop. I know I didn't plan that. At all. I don't think your dad did either. It's not like we exactly chatted about it. I think he was more embarrassed than I was."

Dean didn't reply, his brow creased as he let his eyes sweep over the woman. She felt uncomfortable under his resolute gaze.

"Listen Dean, I know it sound… it sounds convenient, considering. And if I were you, I wouldn't believe me either. I mean, I thought it sounded like a cop-out back then and it sounds worse now, considering what we're dealing with now. I just, well I thought I owed you that after all this time." She shook her head, "Maybe I'm being selfish. This could be one of those cases where I'm telling you this because it would make me feel better. I really-"

"Good God, shut your mouth for a second."

"You're the one who's been so chatty lately and-"

"I mean it, Mae. When the hell did you get so high strung?"

The frown did little to ease his fear because it was coupled with that flash of anger in her icy colored eyes. " I'm not high strung. Forget it! I was trying to be… honest with you and-"

"Hey, settle down. I know you're telling the truth, okay? I don't know why but I do. And I'm glad but you're reading way too much into what I'm doing. I'm not judging you. I was only surprised you told me. And glad too."

"You told me to shut up."

"You were doing that nervous rambling thing Mae. You needed-I needed you to slow down just a second and let me digest what you're saying."

"But you believe me?"

"Is there a good reason I shouldn't?"

"No." She said softly, turning away from him again.

"I meant it when I said that I could overlook it. Maybe I always wanted to but If you say what happened between you and him was anything like what happened with us, then I get it. I just wish you had told me earlier. And I'm sorry."

It made her feel stupid, not talking to him sooner, even though that was not her default instinct. She should have ignored John's order to leave and just took the moment to speak to Dean, to offer a simple explanation. If she knew what would happen with the rest of her day, letting Dean know what happened and not avoiding him in the first place would have been preferable. But back then, she didn't think she would ever speak to him again, let alone want to mend their relationship.

"Me too," she whispered.

"So, what happened? Not the gory details but, you know, the PG version."

"Like I said, it was a set up to...I don't know get us off track or on a different one. I don't know. I still don't know why it happened the way it happened. But it did wonders on screwing things up for me"

"You think you and me, what happened with us will do the same thing and screw things up for you? For us?"

"No... I don't see how it could in the same way. I guess we have to decide the rest. You know, if I don't die."

He shook his head. "I told you-"

"Yeah, yeah. Well let's both hope that the three of us are smarter than... than we have been.

"We are. Sammy's practically a boy genius."

"You know, growing up, I wanted to hunt so bad, but I was ready to walk away after I got hurt. I mean, I actually could walk away physically and that should have been enough. I wanted it to be. I had hoped it was a sign like a touched by an angel 'you've been nearly paralyzed, so you could learn to be less weird' thing." She sighed. "I tried. I was normal...ish. But I was so angry about it. I tried to live a button downed life when your dad tracked me down, told me he has this lead on what really happened to my parents, that they might be alive after 21 years. So… I had to check it out."

"And then everything went tits up for you, I guess." Dean said.

"Did you really think that your Dad or I would have set out to do that? I mean, I'm more likely to hit you. And your dad… well, I don't think he try to motivate you by banging your ex-girlfriend."

Clearing his throat, he tried to come up with a good explanation. "He didn't know the whole truth about us. I mean, I don't think he thought we were serious about each other, not like we were."

Her laugh was bright in that moment, like they weren't discussing something that could turn sour in a heartbeat. "Dude, seriously? Trust me, your dad knew, and he was more comfortable with it than Bobby was."

"Bobby knew?"

"Yeah, you know we kinda sucked at sneaking around. You did not do that much homework to always be having me help you do it, in my room, nonetheless. But I think they thought...at least we were safer with each other."

His brows arched, first in question then in acceptance. "Well, I don't know. I couldn't really talk to him about it and he didn't bring it up so...I just spent all those years blaming you because it was easier than...anything else."

"I get that. So... you ever gonna talk to him about this?"

"Nope. Like you said before, it's in the past and we can't change it. What's done is done. Mae, I'm okay with this."

Dean wouldn't look at her now, but she understood. It was reassuring to see him uncomfortable on this issue because of something other than a foolish concern about her wanting to sleep with his dad. "I don't know if I am. I mean, everything that happened after that...I can't let it go. There has to be a reason that it all happened and I can't-I've gotta figure out why and who and...so when you ask me what I want, if I want to be with you or whatever...I don't know because I've spent every day since that night trying to..."

"What exactly happened after you left?"

"Something bad. Something you don't need to worry about, okay? But I need to figure it out. So, I mean yeah, we've made some amends and we've had some weird spell sex but...um, I don't want my life to be defined by who I'm sleeping with, spells or otherwise. So... I mean, until I know that I'm totally in control of myself..."

"I'm sorry."

She put her hand on his knee. "Not your fault Dean."

"How can you let me off the hook like that? How could you let dad?"

"I mean, with you...it seems like we were in the same boat, control wise, spell wise. You've been pretty concerned that you took advantage of me or worse. And with your dad...I just wanted to get out of there and back home so...I guess I didn't give it much more thought than I had to because it was gross. Your dad may have done any number of inscrutable things, but rape isn't one of them. I'm not sure that I could give you a genuinely good answer."

"I'm still sorry," he put his hand up when her mouth opened to protest, "not because I need you to blame me but because I hate the idea of you being hurt or unhappy, particularly if it's my fault. You know as long as we're being honest here, I always thought I did something to you and that's why you left before."

She felt her throat tighten a little. It would have been so easy to fall in love with him again. Part of her wondered if she ever really fell out of love with him. "I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I've done all kinds of things regardless of you. It wasn't because of something you did or didn't do. I'm just sorry I hurt you in the process of figuring out my shit."

The room fell into a companionable silence before Dean laughed. Nothing on TV was particularly funny, just a late-night infomercial that neither of them were focused on.

"What?" Mae asked.

"Why is it that it took us so long to get to this point?"

"I'm pretty sure in the last decade, anytime we were stuck together in a motel room, we either fought or fucked so... I guess we've never tried to get to this point. I'd like to know why we have to do it in such a screwed-up way?"

"It is more entertaining, Red."

They exchanged genuine smiles before they turned away from each other, back to the television.


	37. Chapter 37

* * *

Dean kept smirking at her. She didn't look back at him and wouldn't justify whatever he was so obviously proud of by acknowledging his little secret. Although that wasn't meeting Dean's need to point out his small victory and after several more moments of increasing awkward silence, he spoke. "Told you so."

There was something perfectly cocky about his tone and the grin on his face. You could hear his grin in his voice, a trait she found both annoying and endearing. Her eyes narrowed as she turned to look back at Dean. "What did you tell me again?"

"That you were keeping something from me."

She gave a snort of a laugh before a strange look passed over her face. "Yeah… yeah I suppose you're right."

The self-assured smirk on his face faded when he looked at her. Something was off. Maybe he hadn't won the way he thought he had. "What does—"

"You suppose your brother's done playing camp counselor?"

"Hey, we're not done here. And no. Just wait until he gets us. What, you can't spend time with me?"

"It's weird. I need to do something real."

"All this is kinda weird and uncomfortable Mae."

"Yes, it certainly is."

"So... you wanna make out for a while?"

Mae scoffed. "I do not."

"It'll be like old times."

She laughed. "Seriously, no. We aren't exactly alone."

The suggestion had been made in jest but if she were interested in that, even if it were only to occupy their time, he wouldn't have said no. "I could lock the door."

She shook her head. "No. It's a bad idea. Maybe when we know for sure that it's us and not some spell. For now, let's just... move forward. We should have talked years ago about a lot of things. That's not something we can change but I'll pinky swear to be bestest friends." her tone was saturated with sarcasm as it descended into sing-song. "C'mon Dean, unless we're gonna braid each other's hair, can we be hunters?"

Dean wanted to play, wanted to keep things light and fun. He still wasn't sure what was holding her back. It wasn't like he was asking for a lot, just a little...faith, he supposed. "Yeah, let's be hunters."

He let her off the hook, something she was just a little thankful for then. The worst part of it was the way he looked at her; his eyes were so raw, jaw clenched tightly, lips turned in a frown and brow furrowed grimly. It was the sort of look that made her want to soften her resolve, even though she didn't know how.

"I need to get something from my car," She said after clearing her throat.

"What?"

There wasn't a point in deceiving him at all, so she didn't even try. "Book of shadows."

"You are a witch."

It could have been a joke, or it could have been a serious accusation. "Burn me later."

They stood at simultaneously and he followed her towards the door. "I just don't like where this is all headed."

"Ah, I can't wait to find out what you like next episode."

"I like pie." He joked

"Okay sugar, you handle all matters pie related and I'll do witch stuff. That should cover all our bases, yeah?"

Annoyance was only half the reason that led him to follow her out to the parking lot. Letter her go off on her own wasn't an option, even if it merited another fight or resistance from her. He had no intention of letting her out of his sight now, not when she practically had a bull's-eye tacked to her back. Because he wasn't interested in having another one of those gender difference arguments he stood watchfully in the doorway as she rummaged through the back of her car. It wasn't because she was a woman that he was concerned. But because she was a woman, he did let his eyes wander languorously up her long legs to her tight butt. She did have a great body, hunter or not, witch or not.

* * *

Sam had done his job well and their young man was a little calmer. He knocked on the adjoining door, letting his brother and the redhead know it was safe to come back. However, shoot both Mae and Dean a warning glance. He thought the look that passed over her face was almost sheepish, but he couldn't tell why exactly. He briefly wondered if he had interrupted something intimate between the pair, but Dean didn't flash the sort of grin he would have expected from him.

The woman didn't say anything as she took a seat at the table next to him and plopped down a huge leather-bound book. His eyes grew wide and he first offered her the questioning glance before looking at his brother. Dean's expression still offered no further clarity. They couldn't be that stupid, could they?

"What's that?"

Mae looked back up from her book to Sam. "Spells mostly. Maybe we can figure out how to undo all this."

"Why do you have a giant spell book?

"I get around Sam. Your dad has that journal. I'm just extremely diligent in writing everything sown."

Peering over to her book, he nodded approvingly. From what he very briefly saw he realized it was quite detailed and perhaps even more helpful than dad's journal. He figured some of the information was the same but there must have been more.

"So, this whole thing isn't a sex spell exactly."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked as he sat more attentively at the edge of one of the beds, feeling a bit more hopeful. Maybe things were better than he thought.

"Sam, it's a sex spell if it uses that energy, no matter what the point is." Mae pointed out.

"Well…okay maybe but… if you're a kid—"

"Right but we're not really debating what someone thought it meant. I mean, if someone doesn't understand either the reason behind sex magic or how it's done, things get screwed up. Point in case."

"Which side of this are you on Mae?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "What side do you think I'm on Sam?"

Her eyes pinned him with a cold, stony stare that truly did make him uncomfortable. The woman had that strange ability to make almost any man question whatever he had just asked her or said to her. "No, I… I just… you know a lot about this."

"Because I'd be better at this if I didn't?"

There was an odd silence before Dean cleared his throat. "She might just be a good witch and it doesn't matter one way or the other. So, you wanna take your nerd off somewhere else?"

Mae hid her laugh behind the hand she pressed to her mouth. Sam wasn't quite as amused, judging from his frown but that made it even more entertaining. It was hardly the time to get giggly over anything, let alone Dean chastising them for bickering.

Sam knew Dean was right and while he didn't doubt Mae, he simply wasn't used to working with her yet. They hadn't had a chance to develop any sort of rhythm or understanding yet. All they really had was a youth full of training, techniques, and a foundational understanding that they should trust each other. Sometimes, it could be hard to remember that she was indeed a hunter and not just a childhood friend or worse, Dean's girlfriend. He supposed it was easier to remember her as the girl who took care of him and his brother, helped him with his homework and made things a little easier when she was around.

But that wasn't who she was now, she was tougher and certainly more than capable when it came to the job. It wasn't worth it to argue with her over such a pointless issue.

"Listen, I'm not trying to be pedantic here, but genuine spells are designed with a purpose. Whatever you do, whatever you put into them means something and is supposed to illicit a desired response. So, the sex part means something important to the spell if it was written in and not just tacked on to get two people to bone."

" _Pedantic_." Dean repeated sarcastically, drawing a pair of frowns from the other two hunters.

"Anyway, it looks like the spell was designed to prime the uh, participants for… possession."

Again, Mae hid a chuckle. "Participants? Wow, you make it sound so voluntary."

"It's supposed to be. I guess the reason it didn't work the right way is because Grant here and his girlfriend weren't anywhere close to a high priest or priestess. And there are missing parts, the real binding parts."

Mae couldn't hold her tongue or the acid that followed. "So, this spell, when used 100% spot on makes two people demonic spirit hosts. Best case scenario, we'd have two uber old and powerful beings wandering around as teen idiots."

"Hey." The objection was not a committed one, particularly when the three glanced back at the young man who again fidgeted awkwardly as he sat on the edge of the bed. He'd been largely ignored as they sorted out what he had shared with Sam. There wasn't much to be done, Grant could hardly say what the three strangers had been discussing since the other man and the woman came back into the room as they had their discussion in close and hushed tones. The woman seemed more hostile than either man did but was more subdued now. Then something occurred to him.

"How do I know you won't do something… like—like kill me?"

Mae shrugged. "I guess you don't kiddo. But if we kill you, it'll be prettier than what those demons will do to you. You're still not off the hook with these demons and what happened to your girl. Besides, it doesn't really seem like your personal security is on the top of your priorities."

"Lady-"

"Do I look like a cartoon dog? You can call me Mae."

"Fine, Mae. I didn't mean to start this, it just happened. I was only tryin'-"

"Did you hear me ask if I wanted to know if you did this on purpose? It is very clear that you set all this into motion with one simple intention and were a big enough idiot to know what to do but not know what it would do. I'm just saying that whatever we're planning to do to you shouldn't be your biggest concern. I don't mean to harp on you for being an idiot because, lord knows you can't help that, but I genuinely don't give a damn if you meant to or not. I care about stopping this."

The young man was quiet for some time. But Dean beamed with pride. He thought she was great, perfect. He didn't worry about her being tough enough for the job anymore, despite those soft looks and their deep conversations. She was just the right amount of hardened fighter.

When the boy spoke again, his voice trembled a bit. "I just thought it would be fun. I never expected anything to happen, certainly not this. I never thought anyone would get hurt by this."

* * *

Aside from her earlier statement and assessment of the situation, Mae kept her mouth shut as the boys tried to get any remaining details from the young ban still in their motel room. She couldn't muster the level of sympathy Sam seemed able to express. Mae couldn't get there. Grant had not only put someone he claimed to love at needless risk, he got her killed. And for what? Sex? The whole thing annoyed her, not just staying silent but knowing that what had happened to the two teens was completely avoidable. She was perfectly aware that she also reacted to the parallel to her own life. Not the witch part but most certainly the young romance part and how it was rippling through her life now.

Sam was right; the boy required a lighter touch than she could apply. Mae knew it didn't do her any good to try to spend time alone with Dean again and she knew he wasn't going to let her be alone. That meant they were all back together in the boys' room as she leafed through her spell book. She knew she didn't have a spell that directly correlated to this one but perhaps they could put something together. They needed to figure something out.

Her full attention however was diverted from the pages. As she pretended to read and listen to her fellow hunters, she watched Dean. He was way too pretty to be a hunter, she thought. Although his features had aged well, and he looked far less baby faced than the young man she'd fallen in love with. He was, unfortunately, quite handsome and she didn't deny her attraction to him. Maybe if he were just a little less good-looking, all of this might have been avoidable.

That wasn't exactly true; her feelings for him went further that a pure physical attraction. She loved him, and it went beyond his looks. Hell, she'd been attracted to him even during his most gawky adolescent phase. There was something about Dean. He just got to her. All those old feelings were so easily aroused now. She used to know he was capable of that, she used to understand it more. Why now did it seem to surprise her?

Dean caught her staring, looking up to catch her gaze and she went wide-eyed. Her cheeks flashed crimson as she feared her fantasies and thoughts played over her face. If he took note of it, he didn't give her the smirk she anticipated. Instead, he looked at her questioningly, as if she had realized something. She had but not what Dean thought, and she looked back down at her book. There was no good reason to be so distracted by him.

He was more confused now. Mae had been watching him under the guise of reading and listening to them interrogate the young man. Then, when he looked at her, those stone blue eyes went wide. He assumed something had clicked for her, that she figured out that missing piece. But her eyes ducked back down to the pages on the book in her lap. Whatever was hidden in those wide eyes disappeared when she broke the gaze. Now, Dean had to wonder just what had been on her mind.

He was however impressed that she had managed to stay quiet so long. As calm as Sam had been as much detail as he'd managed to get the kid to reveal so far, Grant still had not reached the point very quickly and they still lacked all the information they needed. They needed to get all of the steps, all the ingredients, all the incantation he used that might not be in the translated texted. At this point, even his brother was beginning to lose his patience.

"So, you followed the spell exactly?" Sam asked, tapping at the book in front of him.

The young man shifted uncomfortably. "Well… not exactly. I mean… it wasn't real, so I figured it would be fine to cut corners." Mae and Sam exchanged skeptical glances at that. "Besides, there's some of that stuff that's hard to come by. But I followed the things I was supposed to follow the right way."

"You couldn't find some of that stuff? But you came across an ancient Babylonian summoning spell?" Sam said it first, but they were all thinking it.

"I already told you, I didn't know it was real. And I left out things I couldn't find or were gross."

"Such as?" Mae asked.

"Henbane, black poppy juice, something like verbena, cat placenta, copal, um aloeswood but I just used aloe vera-"

"Dude!" Her laugh brought the attention of both brothers, "Oh come on, this…" She shook her head as she shifted away from the table, no longer referencing her book. "This shouldn't have worked. Listen to the spell, listen to what it requires… the invocation might have been the only real part, but it just doesn't play for me. Besides, copal and verbena are both used to attracted benevolent spirits, not these ones."

"Really?"

Mae smirked at Dean's question. She suspected he knew just as well as she did those were protective herbs and resins. He was either playing dumb or testing her, either way it seemed sort of cute. "As, I guess, resident witch here, I can say yes. And cat placenta? The only spell I've heard of is a super old one where you rub the ashes of the placenta of a black cat into your eyes, so you can ID a spirit, which in his defense is gross and highly unsanitary."

As far as spells went, Dean had seen some interesting ones, but suspected Mae was indeed more schooled on them. He still shuddered at her description. "Okay, nasty. Does that work?"

"How should I know? I generally stay away from 'put this in your eyes' spells. But that's not the point. What this tells me is these two kids were just pawns. Whatever they did probably didn't matter because they were just… there. You know, tools. And if you don't get killed Grant, take a botany course so you learn the difference been aloe and aloeswood because seriously."

Sam smirked but had to hide it as he cleared his throat. It made sense, the pawn part, which was why he had so much time dissecting the spell. There were so many inconsistencies, so many uncontrolled circumstances that weren't easily explained by the odd spell. But if it wasn't the spell, what was it? "So why did it work?"

Mae shook her head. "Hell, if I know. All the stuff they did was pointless. Seems like the incantation and the sex were the real deal. I mean...maybe whoever was selling the spell originally was doing it just to get these demon spirits to manifest and it didn't matter who did it. I guess you were part right kid, this wasn't for real, at least not what you did."

"What about the paint?" Grant asked.

"What paint?" They all asked together.

"It was a… the guy I got it from sent along this… he called it magic ink and said that I had to paint the symbols with it. That was the part I followed exactly."

The hunters all exchanged a knowing look. "So, you painted all that stuff?" Dean asked

"Just on our hands and…" the young man blushed deeply, "all over our bodies. Afterwards, it just started showing up other places later. I think Angela did some of them. That's when I knew something was really wrong. And then Angie…"

He trailed off and Mae grimaced before she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay, okay. So that spell, you painted it all over the place. What color was it?" She finally asked.

"Black."

"Mmm... probably Lampblack ink." The three looked up at her, "What? It's commonly used in summoning spells. You burn benzoin, frankincense and myrrh until it becomes sooty then dissolve it in a hydrosol and thicken it with gum Arabica."

Dean shook his head. "And I thought you were the biggest nerd in the room Sammy."

The younger brother offered her a sympathetic grin and Mae winked at him.

"I guess. I still have some, and the figures."

"The figures?" Again, they questioned the young man in unison.

"Yeah, weird things. I… I didn't use them."

Sam sighed. "Well you wouldn't, they're meant to contain the spirits."

"I have the figurines at home."

Before she could stop herself, Mae rolled her eyes. It couldn't be easy, could it?

At least Dean managed to mirror her thoughts. "Well that's just peachy."

"Okay well one of us will go with you." Sam said, "not Mae," He and his brother finished together.

Mae was taken aback by the defiance in the boys' conclusion. "Nice. Maybe you could sound less like I'm your slow cousin mom and dad made you take to the market."

"You're one big target out there Maeby, aside from the kid right now. You're not leaving this room unless we have a damned good reason, or we've dealt with this." Dean stood, walking past her to grab his gun off the table Mae and Sam sat at.

"I know that, but you could try to sound a little less like you're grounding me."

Dean looked down at her as he tucked his weapon into the back of his pants. "Are you seriously trying to pick a fight?"

She was quiet, a bit thoughtful before she spoke again. "I was going to suggest that I stay here and create a page for our scrap book or our fun time in sex spell land. No, me and whoever stays will put together a fitting exorcism for these spirits. Whoever goes, gets loaded up with anti-spirit and anti-demon shit, and picks up anything that could possibly be important."

"Oh well… then great."

Her voice dropped as she stood. "Okay but we should talk. In the other room."

Dean didn't really know why exactly but he agreed with a curt nod and Sam followed suit as they stepped into Mae's adjoining motel room.

She didn't even wait for the boys to close the door partially before she started talking even as she moved to grab her bag of herbs and other equipment. "Okay so we're all in agreement here that we have bigger problems then these demons, right?"

Dean sighed, scrubbing his face. "I want to live in a world no one ever says that."

"Is it any consolation that no one else has probably ever said it?" She offered him a playful over the shoulder glance as she tossed off the question.

"It's not Mae, it's not."

"Well…. I don't have anything better for you. I do know that someone is behind this, someone who knows some serious witchery. I don't know if the three of us are really ready for this one."

"Yeah but why? Why do this?"

Sam always tended to search for the more in-depth reason and for once, Mae didn't think it was anything they needed to get into right then. "General chaos, serious jones for being the devil's bride? I don't know, does it really matter at this point?"

"Okay so," Dean started, "We can't get to the bottom of this before we deal with what's in front of us right now though. We take care of these demons and then we track back where he got this spell from and put a stop to that."


	38. Chapter 38

* * *

Mae's tendency and familiarity with witchcraft left Dean skeptical. He couldn't tell how much was the nature of hunting and how much she believed or practiced. The thought that lingered in the back of his mind was that there was always a chance that she was on the wrong side of things. He hoped not and would have preferred she held a hard line anti-witch viewpoint. Of course, she hardly followed his hopes or wishes for her. With his luck, she was a damn high priestess.

Still, they needed every advantage they could get, especially since they were after something larger than a foolish kid. He decided he would keep his eye on her, try to keep her on the straight and narrow, as much as possible. He would dedicate himself to making sure she didn't do something stupid.

He watched her as she gathered her supplies. "Okay, so… what's your plan here boys?"

Dean crossed his arms over his chest as he frowned. "What do you mean?"

She straightened up, letting the items she gathered from her bag scatter over the bed. "Getting those figures. How do you plan to go about that?"

He smirked. "Well… the car mostly, some walking, I anticipate maybe some door knobs, nothing I can't handle."

Mae rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest and then shooting Dean a sarcastic look. "Fantastic but what I mean is which one of you is going?

Sam and Dean exchanged a glance and once again the redhead huffed. "You boys get to ground me but I don't get to point out that Dean's got the same target painted on his back that I do."

"I'll be fine Mae."

" _You'll_ be fine? What am I? On the JV team now? You know I'm real close to smacking some sense into you."

"You don't know that I won't enjoy that." He counted with that cocksure grin that only he could wear that well.

Countering, she took a few steps closer, so they were almost toe to toe. "I can promise you, you won't."

Mae nearly laughed when he waggled his eyebrows at her. "I like a challenge."

Reaching into the gap between the two hunters, Sam waved his hand. "You both are gross. Can you try to stop the creepy flirting when I'm in the room? At least for the rest of this job?"

The two paused a moment before they disengaged. You could practically hear the click as they shifted gears and backed down to fill Sam's request. "Besides," he continued, "I think Dean should go, if you're staying here. Last time the two of you were alone together out there, it didn't go so well."

With a twist of her mouth, she considered his argument. There wasn't a perfect solution. She knew she was a liability now but didn't know if it was better to isolate herself with Dean or to have him out in the wild. Sam was solid on the research and potentially stronger on working out a counter spell or figuring out how to break this one. Dean had done pretty well during the last attack and, so far, he didn't seem to be as big of a target. They couldn't send the kid alone. And, loathed though she was to admit it, she didn't totally trust herself to do what needed to be done if she and Dean were left alone again.

Then she sighed, looked at the younger then the older brother for some sort of rebuttal. She repeated the moved before speaking. "Is it always so annoying when he's right?" she asked Dean.

"Tends to be."

"It's not my fault you don't like the truth. So, we're all in agreement then? Dean will retrieve the figurines with Grant and you and I will work on undoing this."

They all nodded before Sam turned to go back to the other room. He wasn't entirely comfortable leaving Grant on his own for very long. After all, they didn't exactly know if they could trust him.

Dean let himself watch Mae for a moment longer before moving to follow his brother.

"Hey," she placed a hand on his elbow, stopping him "take this." She had moved quickly to bridge the distance between them. She reached behind her neck and undid the clasp on her necklace before reaching around to fasten it around Dean's neck.

He pulled his head back slightly, unsure of her intentions and more than a little uncomfortable with her actions. The only reason he didn't step away was because she was so close to him and he liked that too much to let it go. "What are you doing Mae?"

"Just… listen, I'm not arguing that my going out there is a bad idea, because it is. And us together, by ourselves, has not ended great the past couple days so Sam going won't work too well either. But that doesn't mean that you going out there is our best option either, it's just all that we have left. And I don't like the idea of you... So, humor me and… protect yourself."

He let his eyes drift down to the collection of charms she typically wore. She'd had them at least some of them for years and she had worn the necklace for almost as long as he'd known her. Granted there was a pretty large gap of time he hadn't seen her, but he had never known her to take it off.

"Are you sure you don't want this?"

"It's like Fort Knox in here. I should be fine."

"You still got jumped."

"Yeah but nothing happened to me so… just do this for me, please?"

He nodded. "Okay but one thing." He reached up to undo the claps again, taking the overly delicate chain off for a moment while he shuffled some of the charms to get to the ring she kept there, taking it off the necklace. "You keep this."

"Dean…"

"Just- two-way street, right? Besides, I already have one remember?"

Her lips pressed together firmly for a moment before with a slight sigh she extended her hand, palm up so he could give her the ring back.

"Put it on."

His eyes were as serious as anything she had ever seen, and she knew there was a deeper reason he made this demand. It was unnerving; the intense green stare and whatever statement he was trying to make. "I don't know what you think this means-"

"You and I both know what we thought these meant back in the day and it's why I wear mine and you kept yours too. Don't be stubborn, just keep wearing it."

Her eyes darted from his face to her hand and back again. She knew it was just nit picking, the difference between wearing it around her neck or on her finger. She had been wearing it for years, just not on her hand and clearly it meant enough to her to keep it. He just stared her down. There was no way Dean was going to take his eyes off her. If he did, he was certain she would pocket the ring or make a run for it or something equally bad. Finally, she huffed but slid the ring back on her right hand.

"There, happy?"

He chuckled as he put her necklace back on and tucked the silver charms under his shirt. "Yeah, pretty much."

"You're a pain in the ass, just like your brother."

"Like you're not."

"Hey, one more thing."

"What?" He asked, before her mouth fell on his.

The kiss was surprising. More unexpected because this was the first one, she'd initiated since they'd broken things off. For only an instant did he wonder if this was because of the spell or because she wanted to kiss him. He wasn't going to pass it up and he wrapped his arms around her waist. He supposed he might not know one way or the other, but he was hard pressed to say that it wasn't nice to have her so near and be interested in him.

"What was that about?"

"Just...be careful, okay?

"Mae, this is not going to kill me, okay?"

* * *

The motel had grown almost too quiet since the familiar sound of the Impala's engine had faded into the distance, with Dean and Grant off to retrieve the figurines. The energy between the redhead and his brother had changed but Sam didn't know why. There hadn't been enough time when they were on their own for anything more than a few words to be exchanged. He couldn't imagine what might have been said to bring the smug turn of Dean's lips or Mae's tight-lipped worry.

They sat across from each other at the crowded table. She rested one elbow on the surface, cradling her forehead against her palm. Now that they were alone Sam could see just how exhausted the woman looked. Maybe it was the early wake-up call or random sleep schedule, but he suspected it involved whatever was going on with her and his brother.

Of course, it could have simply been the job. In a short period of time, the scope of what was going on ballooned past an isolated incident and now encompassed a whole conspiracy to get this spell cast. Even as an isolated case, it had the potential to blow up in their faces and he felt unsure that they would be able stop it. If his interpretation of the spell was right, both Mae and Dean were targets for demonic possession. Now wasn't the time to debate with himself when he could simply ask the woman herself.

"Tell me what's up with you and Dean."

It shouldn't have surprised her that he was asking. There were so many issues that he could have been referring to and really, she wasn't sure which problem he was talking about. Still, she had the same answer for every one that came to mind. "Nothin'. I mean, this case… this job is so messed up. Even if things were perfect with me and your brother, this still would have screwed us up. It's the case."

"It's not the case. I mean yeah, it hasn't exactly made the two of you less crazy but… you know you have this power over him." She scoffed with a shake of her head. "I've never seen a girl drive him crazy like you do."

Mae rolled her eyes. "I drive a lot of people crazy Sam. That's just what I do."

She wasn't wrong on that count and he smiled at the joke. But it just a deflection. "It's more than that and you know it."

"C'mon Sam. Why do you boys think it's more than… than what it is? Why does it even have to be something? You of all people certainly must understand that just one event can change a person forever. And I'm pretty sure I've had one or two of those."

The woman could quite easily be cruel, but she skirted that line, trying to make her point without being mean. "So that's it then? You don't want anything to do with Dean ever again?"

It would have been simpler if she could convince herself to lie to him, to either brother but she found it incredibly difficult. It wasn't like there were that many people she could talk to about this either. Sam was her friend. Sure, he was looking out for his brother, but he wasn't completely unwilling to talk about things. "I never said that."

"I'm pretty sure he's thought that more than once when it comes to you."

Her eyes narrowed, and her jaw firmed. She wondered what it was those boys discussed when they were alone. "What are you trying to get at?"

"Listen, I don't know all the details about what happened with you and Dean and I don't pretend to…" he swallowed, knowing he could be stepping in something possibly dangerous, "but I do know that it really hurt him."

"I know it did."

"Then why did you leave in the first place?"

Her eyes drifted from the younger Winchester to the polyester drapes that covered the windows she so deeply wanted to peer out of, to find some form of rescue from yet another conversation questioning her motives. "Are you telling me that we don't do something now if it might hurt Dean?" The sarcasm all but dripped from her words and the glint that moved through her eyes was more than a little spiteful. "I must have missed that family meeting."

The hurtful comment hit its mark because for a moment Sam really did feel offended by the notion that she thought he was trying to hurt his brother. Even as mad as he had been with his father, he hadn't left because he was trying to hurt anyone. "I think our situations were a bit different and—Dean's my brother not my boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend either. But yeah, our situations were different. You hated everything about the way you grew up, I didn't. But we both left."

"All the more reason you shouldn't have left."

With a sigh, she ran her hand through her hair. "You do know I had nearly died. And you know Bobby never pressed me into the life the same way your dad did. I took the opportunity to leave, to see if... if maybe I should try to be something else. But you know, it all led right back to this job, this life. So... you know, I told Dean all of this. I've told him everything I could about the past."

"What about dad?"

That was just too much for her. "Dude. It was one, incredibly short and unexciting occurrence. I'm sick of having to justify it to you and your brother."

"You don't have to justify it to me. I... I mean, he was a father figure but not your father so maybe..."

"My daddy issues don't run that direction Sam. I didn't ask to sleep with your dad, and neither did your father. We were both most unfortunately used in that situation and if it weren't for Dean, we both probably would have ignored that anything ever happened. I get that it's kinda uncomfortable for everyone to think about, but it didn't mean anything. And to be honest, I don't think you brother much cares about the sex itself but that… that we didn't talk before or after it."

"Yeah… I kinda thought the same thing."

Nodding, Mae leaned away from the table and just looked at Sam. "But you know my decisions didn't revolve around your brother, your dad or anything else you can come up with. It was a job that neither John nor I should have been involved in and we both got burned. My mistake, the one that hurt your brother, was using that to put distance between us. But if you'd been dealing with what I was, you would have done the same thing."

"Which was?"

It was Psychology 101 when she crossed her arms over her chest, effectively closing the conversation. "That's something personal."

"You don't think maybe it might shine some light on a few things now?"

She shook her head. "I think that my past is my past and whatever you _think_ happened doesn't really matter."

"Well what I think happened when you were 16 and left that time was that you had Dean's baby."

He expected it to have more impact, like he sucker punched her but instead her eyes went soft and she just frowned. "Does Dean have that theory too? Do you both think I've kept that secret for... 8 years?"

"I don't know but...it makes sense."

"It only makes sense if you don't know what happened to me that night."

"Really?"

"Yes." Her voice was almost a whisper. "I never had a kid, Dean's or otherwise and I can't. I had to have a hysterectomy at 16 because there was too much...internal damage, Sam. I never had Dean's baby and if I had, I sure as hell would have told him. That is not something I would keep from him" Her voice grew just a bit shaky at the end.

There was something sad about that Sam decided. While the idea of Mae having to raise a kid all by herself wasn't exactly a perfect one, it held a sort of promise that maybe having a normal life wasn't all that unbelievable. Although, if she had said yes that would have meant that she was leaving that kid to go off hunting. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"I don't think even Dean knows. Unless Bobby told him or your dad. I don't know. I never asked. But I don't have a secret kid. Hell, if I did...Dean and I probably would have stuck together. I don't know."

"Is it weird that I was kind of hoping it would be that simple?"

"Only in our line of work could a teen pregnancy be the simple solution."

That was an understatement and Sam gave Mae a sad smile of agreement.

"So, then what happened?"

"Jesus…" she pinched the bridge of her nose, "I didn't know what to do okay? I mean, what more do you want? What exactly are you expecting of me? I was 16! That's not exactly the age of wise and thoughtful choices. I was freakin' shish kabob and scared out of my mind, but I knew one thing, I was supposed to be a hunter. And when I was well enough to do the only think I wanted to, Bobby told me I couldn't because he wasn't going to stand by and watch me get hurt all over again. He said he's support whatever I wanted to do but that. If that's not good enough for you or your brother, nothing will be."

He believed her. He knew that she was a great liar and could have been but there was something in her tone and her eyes that told him she wasn't making it up. "I didn't mean to imply-"

"So... I could have gone off with Dean and been a detriment to him or...I mean, it wasn't like he was going to come away with me and start a new life. And honestly, I still don't think I could take the blow to my ego if I presented him with the choice of a life with me or a life with...you and John. I wasn't ever gonna win that one. So, I picked me."

He had to admit that he never faulted her for trying to find a life outside of being a hunter, that he understood, but now he knew her reasoning. "Have you told Dean all this?"

"I've told him parts but not all. Not the part about knowing that he wouldn't pick me, ultimately. You know, your brother is making a bigger deal out of this than he should. We've talked though, about a lot of things. It's better."

"I'm not entirely sure about that Mae. He doesn't really get hung up on women and you're the one making him toss and turn at night."

"That might just be this case. Besides, he thinks he's in love with me again."

"He told you he loves you?"

"No, not yet but not for lack...listen, don't give me that look. I've...I loved Dean a long time Sam. I know who he is and what he's like. But this spell...you know that it amplifies things, right?"

"Yeah...that's why the kid thought it would be a good sex spell."

"Well, yeah and the sex wasn't...it was weird but there was an uncontrollable passion to it."

"I don't need to know that." Sam interjected.

"What I'm saying is...maybe it amplifies all kinds of emotions... anger, lust, joy, sadness...all that's in the way I feel about your brother. And love's in there too, for both of us. I just don't trust myself with the way I feel about him or the way he feels about me, okay? So, things are...off right now. And I promise, if I'm not dead at the end of this then...I guess Dean and I will figure things out. You wanna warn me not to take advantage of your brother or ask me what my intentions are with him?"

Sam laughed. "Kind of. I mean...I actually think the two of you are good together, when you're not fighting. Maybe when I'm done..."

"When you're done...wow, have you told Dean that?"

"Yeah, Dean knows we're looking for the thing that killed Jess and dad. Having your help would be good and maybe you and Dean... you know."

"Sounds like you and your brother have a few things to discuss too."

Sam shook his head. "Yeah, no... let's focus back on stopping these demon spirits."


	39. Chapter 39

* * *

Mae busied herself with a variety of items from her kit. Sam didn't know what she was doing, particularly because they hadn't formulated a plan. He also wasn't sure if she was upset with him or not. He didn't think accusing her of hiding a pregnancy from his brother was enough to offend her. He could have been a bit more delicate. But he also knew that if Dean thought the same thing, and if it were true, it would have been difficult for his brother to learn. Not that it would have changed anything if Sam knew first but he wanted to have a better idea of what happened.

He was a bit perturbed himself that she seemed to understand something that he knew Dean didn't. But she'd also had a life, a real life. Despite not knowing much about what she had done between the last time he saw her and now, but she seemed to know more than she let on. About him, about his brother, and perhaps about what they were after. He also meant what he said, if she and his brother could work things out, maybe she could be person he would be happy hunting with. Maybe she might even convince him that doing normal things wasn't so bad.

Sam watched her now, with unease, as she mixed something together from herbs and liquids from her box of supplies. He hadn't entirely bought Dean's claim that she was a witch although she seemed a little more like one as time went on. But she was a hunter. Hunters dabbled in all sorts of things that crossed that line.

"What are you making?"

It took her a moment to answer him as she finished measuring. "I have a plan."

"Well," Sam smirked, "that was quick."

"It's been on my mind a while."

"Why doesn't that surprise me? Or make me feel any better."

"Maybe you're just a pessimist, Sammy."

His lips twisted, somewhere between a smile and a frown. "You know, that's just as annoying when you do it as when Dean does it."

"I would guess anything both Dean and I do would be."

She was delaying, trying to either ease him into it or butter him up for a lackluster idea. Knowing Mae, knowing how she hunted, he hoped she was doing something different and buttering him up. "And that's why I know your idea probably will be too."

Mirth filled the cynical curve of her lips. "I wouldn't say annoying. Troublesome perhaps."

"So… don't keep me in suspense."

Her mouth twitched, and she eased away from the table with a deep sigh. "Well… as Dean and I are on a possibly long list of potential hosts, it's kind of a given that we'll get possessed."

Wide eyed, Sam held a hand up. "No! No, it's not."

She had been expecting resistance from Sam, so she didn't let the alarm in his eyes dissuade her. "Okay, just hear me out on this one. Besides, I'm trying to make sure Dean's not the prime target."

"Or you. I'm just as concerned about you as I am him."

"That's sweet but whoever you're concerned about, there's one more problem. We posited that there were others impacted by this spell based on the police reports, but we don't have every case that fits the pattern and out of the ones we do have, we don't know everyone who might be possessed. Dean and I are the only ones we know for sure. So, we can waste time guessing and getting it wrong or we can bring these things to us."

The worst part was she made sense. Logically, anyway. Her plan was dangerous and could end up getting Mae or his brother killed. It was a huge flaw to try to ignore. "You don't know-"

"I don't know any absolutes, neither do you. But we have some options."

"You're saying we should set you and Dean out as bait."

"Bait's such an ugly word. And no. I just mean me. I'm probably next and for my plan, it doesn't really matter if Dean is possessed or not, but it matters that I am. Although it'll be easier for you if Dean isn't possessed."

Even for a hunter, she was crazy. But her plan wasn't without its own unique highlights. He would have been proud if he had thought of it first, he thought. "If, and that's a big if, you convince me that this is a good plan, that still leaves Dean and he's not going to go for this."

"You do know, I don't need his permission or yours." There was no hostility or resentment when she said it but rather that eerie calm that made her words seem chillingly true. "But I will need your help."

"To get you possessed? No way." He folded his arms over his chest, resolutely. Even if she was right, there had to be another way, something remotely less dangerous for her and his brother. And him.

"Well, I'm pretty sure getting me possessed is possibly the easiest part of this, considering that I'm primed and ready. And you know that, Sam. You can tell me no all you want but you've read the same things I have. I'm counting on you to not make this personal. At the end of the day, it might not matter if any of us agree to it, it might just happen. I'm going to need you and your brother to control me and exorcise me."

"Oh, is that all?" He replied sarcastically.

"Okay I know it sounds-"

"Stupid? Were you gonna say stupid? Because it sounds stupid."

It made her laugh, just briefly but it helped that moment to make everything seem less difficult. No matter how Sam or Dean would try to protest, she had one reasoning that made it all the arguing pointless. "So, you're fine with letting someone else get possessed who was unfortunate enough to get caught up in all this just because you think your brother, or I are more important than them?"

Sam paused, frowned. There wasn't a good way to come back at her on that one. "No of course not."

"Okay then, we take control of this thing. We can make this way less awful if we're in charge."

"What makes you think you can control a demon that's thousands of years old?"

He knew she had to have considered that. He had no reason to believe that she thought she could get pull one over on a demon. "Nothing, absolutely nothing." with contemplatively steepled fingers, she leaned forward. "In fact, I know I can't. But if I understand this spell, I'm supposed to get owned by Lamashtu. That means that Pazuzu, whoever he's in, will want to take care of me."

"You mean kill you?"

That was a possibility and if she though Sam hadn't picked up on that little idea, she would have been crazier than this plan already made her feel. "Technically, kill her. She's the real target, regardless of the host. Hopefully, I'll get out of it with minimal damage."

"Minimal damage? That's not much of a card to play."

"Minimal damage for me versus letting those demons to kill someone else or decimate a whole town and who knows what else. I know my choice."

There wasn't another choice, they both knew it, but Sam didn't have to like it. He knew Dean wouldn't like it.

"Do you have a death wish Mae?"

She was on her feet, gathering her herbs back in the bag she kept them in. His question too her by surprise and she paused her actions to look up at him. "Excuse me?"

"This whole thing, it seems needlessly reckless."

"You think I'm trying to kill myself by demonic possession?"

"Doesn't seem like you're trying to save yourself from it."

"Gimme another option Sam. Even a long shock." She waited for him to answer but he didn't have another solution. He wished he did. "I know this is risky, maybe even reckless but I'm not suicidal, okay? And I'm not stupid. I know exactly what's in store for me but...I'm not going to put someone else in that place when we have a way to stop it. So... you tell me how we can make sure no one else gets possessed or hurt by these things and keep me out of the line of fire. I'll do it. Until then..."

"I don't like it."

"It's not what I'd plan for a vacation either."

"Fine," he said after a contemplative sigh, "I'll take your word for it, as a hunter."

"Just as a hunter Sam? Because I would feel way more comfortable doing this if I had a friend. Hunters can be real assholes and since I'm turning my body over to demon, I'd like to know I have a friend looking out for me. Someone who'd gonna pull out all the stops to get the demon out of me and keep me alive."

He offered her a tight-lipped smile, not an insincere one but one that was difficult to make more compassionate because he was genuinely worried. "Yeah, I can do that. Dean can too, I know he will."

"Good, considering this is one of my crazier ideas and um, I have one other thing to ask you."

"Jesus…" The breath of air he let out was huge and he ran his hands through his hair, "please let it be something simple." It was more of a prayer than an appeal to her.

She paused long enough to let him know it wasn't a small request. "If none of this works, give this to me."

The redhead was on her feet, standing in front of him holding out the small dram vial she had poured the product of her earlier working into. Sam eyed the vial wearily. "What is it?"

"If run of the mill exorcism doesn't work and you think this spirit demon thing has the upper hand, just pour it in my mouth. It'll expel the demon from my body and after that you can make sure it goes into the idol your brother is getting."

"That didn't answer my question."

She looked away, lips twitching as she tried to find an acceptable way to tell him. There was a slim chance that if she were talking to Dean, she could give him a different name for the key ingredient in her little solution, although he knew enough that it might not work. But any other name she could call up wouldn't get passed Sam, she just knew it. Still, she tried. "Indian aconite."

"Monkshood?" He exclaimed, "you're asking me to give you monkshood?"

"Not for fun or anything. It's like plan z, okay? If worst comes to worst… this will work to control the demon and expel it from my body. It's a powerful-"

"Poison? Yeah, because that'll make you asphyxiate or go into cardiac failure and, oh yeah possibly kill you." Standing, he shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest, "I'm not poisoning you! And if you think Dean will react poorly to your idea of getting possessed, he's not going to do better when the solution to that is killing you."

"I'm solidly on the side of you not killing me, and very in favor of you not wanting to. But...again, we may not have a lot of options. So that's why I'm asking you."

"You're asking me to keep this a secret too? You're asking me to keep it a secret that you plan to have me poison you?"

She shook her head and stepped in front of Sam, placing her free hand on the side of his face. Her voice was calm but full of emotion and concern. "No. But we need an emergency plan if things get bad. I can take senna beforehand, just in case. It's supposed to reduce the severity of any heart problems that might ensue. I mixed the dose myself and I know it's not enough to be immediately fatal. We'll have about 45 minutes, if things get bad. And we'll put together an exorcism that should work. You can't let this thing take me."

Her hand dropped away from his face. He hated her rational side sometimes, not as much as Dean would, but he hated that she made sense. He hated that he was going to agree to her insane request because it would keep others safe and that was their job. "That wasn't the plan."

"Okay but let's be realistic, just for a minute. I'm not some love-struck teen, I'm a hunter so I know just enough to be a threat to you and your brother if I'm letting a demon play dress up in me. I'm also pretty skilled when it comes to spells and various witchery so from the perspective of this spirit demon, I'm a pretty good host. Please just forget about how Dean may or may not feel about me… because you just don't want me as an enemy."

"There has to be another solution then aside from you getting possessed." He said, mostly to himself

"It's coming for me and probably next. If there's another woman this demon wants next… as horrible as it sounds, that would be great, if we knew how to save her but since when have we had that much luck? I'm not saying you'll have to give this to me," she took his hand in hers and pressed the vial into his hand, "and hell, if you can't hold me down, it's useless. I mean, you probably won't have to give it to me. But if it comes down to it and you have the opportunity, this could be a huge help. I'm not asking you to do something unnecessary. If you think that Dean will do it, then let him but… I really don't want to be possessed any longer than necessary and I'm not looking for it to kill me. We can't ask someone else to do this and we don't have a plethora of time on our hands."

He frowned but considered her argument. It occurred to him that she knew way too much about this, about being possessed for it to just be happenstance or good research but in this instance, he was sure she was right. At least right about the viability of their options and the number of chances they would have to do this correctly.

"Fine but… if I have to use this and it doesn't kill you, you're explaining everything to Dean."

"I'll do you one better. If I die, I promise to come back to haunt and give him that message."

"Not funny."

"Oh, come on, it's a little funny."

"You know that death from monkshood can occur in two hours, right?"

"I do. But hey, at least you'll know what poisoned me if you have to take me to the hospital. That's something, right?"

"I don't like this."

Relief filled her eyes. "Good, you and your brother are on the same page. Just for the record, I'm not particularly keen on it myself and given the choice I'd rather be on a white sandy beach with an umbrella drink in my hand being fanned by a cabana boy but… that's just not in the cards."

* * *

Flipping through pages hurriedly, Sam was committed to finding some sort of solution that didn't involve any of them getting possessed. Dean was not going to be happy with their current plan. But Sam assumed that he would come to the same conclusion he had regarding the whole idea eventually. Hopefully, they wouldn't have to spend too much time debating it with him. They hadn't come up with anything better, nothing less detrimental in general. And at least Mae was willing. It would be easier to use her as bait if she wasn't fighting it.

After all, the spell was supposed to be voluntary. Maybe if she was willing to serve as host, the spirit demon would do less damage to her. That still didn't make it a great alternative. Both he and his brother had used themselves to lure a spirit or monster when it served a purpose. This just seemed more dangerous. Perhaps it was because Mae and Dean had already displayed just how unpredictable this spell could be. Not to mention the last host to Lamashtu hadn't fared very well. Sure, Mae wasn't a 17-year-old novice witch girl but that didn't mean much when it came to demons.

Sam didn't have a good feeling about any of this. He didn't know if it was the plan or because it was Mae or because he knew how Dean would react. That would be the biggest impediment to pulling of this rudimentary plan successfully. His brother still had feelings for Mae-that much was obvious, and he was already twisted up over the state of things. He had been since before all of they got here but that held more signs of a nervous affection rather than the worry and regret that hung over him now.

In terms of options and tools at their disposal, Mae's plan seemed almost perfect. But even using her as bait, trying to force the spirit demons to come after her, and then forcing them back in the figurines, it seemed too simple a solution. The situation was also off, like someone else had planned this. The question he had, if this really was some sort of ploy, was if it targeted the Winchesters or Mae. There was every reason to believe that the woman had made some powerful enemies. Would they go to these lengths to get back to her?

"How many people have you pissed off?"

Mae raised her eyebrow and laughed. "Today or… ever? I'm gonna need a timeline, Sam."

"Well I'm just thinking, maybe this is bigger than both of us and maybe it's because of you."

"I haven't pissed off the ancient Sumerians, to my knowledge anyway."

"Seriously?"

"I'm not saying it couldn't be something directed at me but who knew I was coming here?"

"I… I don't know."

"Who knew you boys were coming here? I... maybe it is personal but maybe the real plan here was just to release these demon spirits. Anywhere, anytime. Without any of us being the specific target. But maybe you are right. I just don't know who could have put this all together. Not yet anyway. I'm sure I've pissed off my share of people, mostly though, I tend to piss off the things we hunt so… I don't know. Right now, I think we have to stop this."

"No, I know we do but what if the point of it is to get you or Dean possessed?"

"Yeah, maybe but why?" She smiled weakly, "Don't think that I'm not on the same page you are."

"Is it weird that I wish our biggest problem was you and Dean sniping at each other over everything, so I could make a great argument against this?"

"I would really like that right now."

Despite himself, he found himself laughing with her. "Dude this is so messed up."

"No shit."

She pressed her lips together and ran a hand through her hair. After a pause, Sam spoke. "Dean's been gone a long time."

Even as they had been discussing the merits of Mae's proposed approach, they kept checking the time. They knew the time wasn't moving any faster or slower. Even though it felt like time was going at a crawl. After Dean had been gone about half an hour Sam had started to get antsy. The town wasn't that big, and it was still early. Thirty minutes should have been enough time even if he had to get to the other side of town.

But thirty minutes didn't take much into account. _Something_ could have come up, something normal or routine, something Dean could handle easily. That was how Mae rationalized it at any rate. There had been a moment where Sam looked at her and she looked at him and they knew they were thinking the same thing. Mae had sent a check in text and Sam had placed an unanswered called.

At forty-five minutes, Sam began to pace and check his phone as if he could either will Dean to call or walk through the door. Mae had given up even trying to pretend like she was reading or doing any research because between the nervous march and the knot at the back of her neck, the knowledge that they had made huge mistake seemed more obvious.

They had sent him out there, even knowing it wasn't particularly safe for him and it seemed more and more obvious that the worst had in fact happened. As it neared an hour since he had left, Sam finally spoke and for all her concern, Mae couldn't express it.

"Thanks, stopwatch." Sarcasm was her first defense, but she still sighed, worrying the ring Dean had asked to put on between her thumb and forefinger. "Why the hell did we let him go alone?"

"He was with Grant." Sam added sheepishly.

"Yeah, awesome, because he's a totally reliable safe guard."

"Maybe he's just…being thorough."

Was Sam trying to protect her or himself, she wondered? They both knew it was nearly impossible that there was any sort of explanation that either of them would like. Under different circumstances, it wouldn't have worried either of them. But Dean was a target and out there without backup.

"Well...he hasn't answered either of us back yet." Sam said.

Mae ran a terse hand through her hair. "We could go after him."

"We? You can't go out there."

"Well I'm not staying here, and you can't hitchhike your way to your brother."

"You could give me your keys."

"Oh no way Skippy."

He frowned, a borderline puppy dog look, she decided. But it was hardly the sort of thing that would soften her stance on letting him take her car again.

"Dean wouldn't like it."

"In that case…" She began, sarcastically.

"C'mon…"

"That's your best argument? No way. I'm not giving you my keys to drive my baby."

"Your baby? When the hell is with you and Dean and your cars?"

"You wouldn't understand. Which is why you don't get to drive. Plus, you're not leaving me here."

"I'm stronger than you."

She laughed. "You are? Then come take them."

"I'm not fighting you."

"Then you're riding shotgun, sweet cheeks."

With a grumble, he advanced on her, planning only overpowering her and holding her down long enough to take her keys. However, the woman was quicker than he anticipated. When he was close enough, she dropped into a crouch, swept her leg out to take Sam down with one fell movement. Before he had even recovered completely, Mae had him pinned to the floor with a knee poised above his groin and her forearm pressing into his throat.

"My keys, my car, my choice."

Even though she didn't hurt him he could feel the power and restraint in her slim form. The woman was much stronger than she looked and just as well trained and he or his brother. He knew the move was more about sparing than it was about attacking. It was reminiscent of their brother/sister relationship, in all its annoying glory.

"Okay," He whispered.

"Nuh uh, say the magic word."

"Uncle, uncle."

Of course, that would be the time the motel door opened, revealing a very confused Dean. "Do I need to ask what's going on here?"

His entrance first relieved her, then left her feeling overconfident because she took Sam down with ease and then a little awkward still pinning him down. Quickly, she pat Sam's cheek, got to her feet, and held a hand out to the young hunter. "I'm owning your brother."

Sam took the proffered hand, only briefly considered using her distracted state against her to get even and tried to hide the little grin that threatened to spread over his face. He was finally starting to understand how easily Dean could go from one extreme to another with her. When she was normal it was almost like old times. Thinking about that made him laugh.

For Dean's part, he decided to let it drop, there was no point in arguing with her or taking offense. Frankly, it wasn't exactly the most conductive position for any sort of bad behavior between the two. "Well, that makes sense."

"She wasn't fighting fair." He tried but knew he failed in sounding anything but whiny.

"Has she ever?" Dean was close to laughing but he decided to save it for later.

Dusting her hands together, Mae smirked. "Aww, you boys just get your panties in a twist because I always win."

"We let you." They replied, in unison.

"Okay, that's getting weird. And I win on my own."

"So why were you two wrestling there?"

"We were getting ready to come after you and he wanted my car keys."

"Hmm… well Sam, I'm with Mae on this one."

Over her shoulder, the woman stuck her tongue out at the taller brother, as if would cinch her victory.


	40. Chapter 40

* * *

The levity that had permeated the room disappeared as soon as Dean and Grant had closed the door and shop talk began. Sam got the run down on what Grant knew about the figures as Mae walked over to Dean.

"Hey," she began with a soft tone, placing her hand on his arm, "can we talk?"

"Well that sounds ominous."

"Can we?"

That worrying feeling rolled down his spine. Mae rarely approached things delicately, not with him. He hated that his preference for her delivering a message would have come in the form of a fight or a shouting match. Her calm subtle tones were more unsettling than anything else. "Yeah, what's up?"

Guiding him into the other room, she sat on the edge of the bed. "Oh Christ, Mae. I don't know what you're about to say but I have a really bad feeling here."

His exasperation was oddly reassuring, and it brought a very small smile to her face before she remembered exactly what she needed to talk to him about. "I'm just… you're not going to like the plan I have."

"Not when you put it like that."

"Just hear me out."

The more she delayed, the more his hackles rose. "There's a lot of build up here so it's sounding worse and worse."

"Yeah, probably." She watched him as he began to pace, "So when you and I had sex, we unwittingly performed this rite and threw the welcome mat out for these spirit demons-"

"No. Absolutely not." He cut her off, it didn't take a genius to figure out where she was headed with her idea.

Well, she thought, what had she expected? She knew Dean wouldn't exactly embrace the notion. If he's agreed, without any sort of protest, it would have been rather hurtful. And she knew she hadn't presented a great preamble to her proposal. "You didn't even let me finish."

"And I'm not going to because you were going to say you think we should let him happen."

"Dean—"

"No! There's not a damn thing you can say that will convince me that this isn't anything but crazy."

"I'm not saying it's not crazy. I get that it's not ideal-"

"Not ideal? I swear to god, if I have to, I'll tie you down and Sam an' I will deal with this."

He was being more stubborn than she hoped but not more than she expected. He would have to be cajoled and yelling back at him wouldn't work right now. "What is this really about? I mean, it can't be about doing something dangerous since that's all we do."

He turned on his heal, pinning her with fiery eyes. "You want to get possessed! How much more do I need to tell you for you to see the problem?"

"I do not want to get possessed. All things considered, I'd rather remain demon free, but we have the opportunity to make the best out of a bad situation. It's not like I don't understand what I'm saying here."

"We're not sacrificing you. I'm not sacrificing you."

She scooted forward besides standing to face him. "There aren't a lot of other options Dean. You want to tell me you're willing to put someone else in the hot seat, maybe get someone else killed?"

"Of course not. But we're not going to sit back and let you get killed. I'll do it."

"You'll do it?"

"Yeah, whatever you were planning, I'll do it."

She shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest, almost mirroring his look as they stood toe to toe. "I don't think it works that way. I'm pretty sure I'm next… then you. For one of them at least, the other one Pazuzu, that one should be going after the kid next."

"We'll make it hit me first."

"And I'm supposed to rock that solution? It's better if you're possessed?"

"Damn straight." He was trying to tower over her, but he didn't have that much of a height advantage over her.

She huffed. "I swear to god you are so… I want to throttle you sometimes."

"Get in line, sweetheart."

Last resort, she thought, as she put her hand on his shoulder. Touching him tended to diffuse arguments much of the time. "Will you just listen to me? Will you just trust me for one goddamned second? I'm not crazy, okay? It's not the best plan I've ever had but it is one that will work. I can even admit it's a bad plan but to keep people safe, I think it's the thing we have to do. And I need you for this. I trust you and Sam to keep me from dying or being a long-term home for this demon."

God, he hated when she looked at him with those big, dewy stone blue eyes. Talk about a puppy dog look. She looked almost innocent and I was almost impossible to tell her no this time. "Why do you need to do this?"

"Because...for better or worse, we're in this now, you and mean and we're the only potential victims that know it. And we're the only ones that can fight it. If I can do anything about it, I'm not letting anyone else get hurt. It's as simple as that. You know I'm right."

She was right. He wouldn't tell her now, or possibly ever, but it had crossed his mind when he was out at Grant's house, hearing what had happened after he had set the spell into motion with his little girlfriend. But Dean promised himself and Mae that he wasn't going to let that happen. He didn't want to make it happen. "This is fucking crazy."

"Yeah, agreed. And I mean, if you figured out some other solution, any other solution, where I don't have to go through that, I wouldn't even put up a fight. But you know, I know you know, these things are after us. If we use that to our advantage-"

"I just don't want to use _you_."

She smiled. "I know. I never thought that was your intent. Believe me I appreciate it because, I really want someone... no, I need someone who's gonna be there to undo this. Your concern is super sweet, but I signed up for this."

"You didn't sign up to get trapped in the middle of some dumbass kid's attempt to get laid. You got caught up in it because of me."

"I mean yeah, if I hadn't come out here, this wouldn't be a possibility. But, you know, for what it's worth, if I were going to get the stick end of this lollipop, I'd rather do it with you than anyone else."

"That's not reassuring."

Mae, to Dean's surprise, just laughed. It wasn't a win she wanted to gloat over, but she knew she had convinced him enough that he wouldn't keep fighting her on it. "The next day or so is totally gonna suck. Well, you know what reassures me? I know you'll do everything you can to keep me safe."

He nodded. "I wish I could do more."

"I know."

"I really hate this plan."

* * *

Mae, Dean, and Sam got down to work, looking through notes their dad had written, going through Mae's book of shadows, and scouring the internet for possible exorcism spells, protective spells, or anything else that might aide them. Grant, knowing there wasn't much else to do, had laid down on the questionable motel sofa and was lightly dozing.

The room was a mess of papers, books and their assorted tools of the trade. The scene was almost comic aside from the gravity of the situation and the seriousness with which they handled the objects. Mae was hunched over the table, still sitting in the backwards facing chair as she sifted through the materials inside of the bundle of twigs and herbs.

It had, in her estimation, done its job in Angela's house. All of the spells scrawled over the walls were limited to the girl's bedroom. The basement on the other hand was relatively untouched, adequately protected. And there had to be a reason. Maybe it was the plethora of protective items but that didn't sit quite right with her. After all, she hadn't been particularly safe, and she was covered in protective symbols and objects.

There wasn't any of it that made her feel in control. There wasn't much on this case that made her feel in control. It didn't help that she felt like it was punishment for her desire to find a little normalcy or even happiness being friends with Dean again even though she had resigned herself to anything but. As if she needed another sign, she though, that now was not the time to pursue that. Every time they close to something resembling normal, something nasty happened.

She cast a glance towards the man and a sick pain in her heart. It was better when he hated her, well not better but easier. At least then there weren't any questions, there wasn't any chance that they would be tricked into believing they were anything other than cursed. Provided that this didn't get her killed, she planned on cutting ties again. They'd both be better off. She hated the idea now more than any other time in the past. Aside from the fighting, it had been fun, it had been nice to be together again.

She hadn't realized just how much she missed him over the years, just how much she'd missed anyone being close to her. Spell or not, there was a truth to what came out between them. There was something real there, she thought. And that was why it was dangerous for them to be together. It was a terrible realization to have, particularly in this moment when they had a much bigger problem to deal with.

From his side of the room, Sam tried to keep his focus on the book in his lap, but he couldn't keep his eyes off Mae's back. At some point, she'd taken off her flannel shirt and was now just wore the t-shirt and jeans. The tee had become untucked and had ridden up, exposing a span of flesh between the hem of the shirt and the waist band of her jeans.

He didn't stare because the peak of flesh enthralled him, but what should have been just pale, pale skin between the fabrics was a mess of curling, reddened lines. In part, it looked like a tattoo but not like anything he'd seen before. It looked odd, like she had rested up against something hot and metal and gotten badly burned.

Surely, she would have noticed a burn like that. Even if she hadn't said anything, she would have at least bandaged it. It wasn't just some random pattern either. It looked… well it looked intricate and deliberate. He leaned closer; still not close enough to determine what it was or what it was supposed to be. He had practically leaned of the edge of the bed when his brother cleared his throat loudly.

Sam's head whipped in the direction of the other bed. His brother was glaring at him, having noticed the slow creep it took to stare at Mae's back. Sam glared back and shifted his eyes over to the young woman, trying to get his brother to take in the strange occurrence. Mild annoyance turned to question as Dean's eyes followed his brother's and widened when he realized just what it was about Mae's body that had his brother fixated. He was off the bed in a split second and grabbing at the hem of her shirt. Mae swiveled out of his grasp, using her pen to keep him at bay.

"What the hell?!" she exclaimed.

"Your back."

"I never left."

"Not… not back as in returned. Your back, there's something on your back."

He reached for her again and she turned away from his grasp. Her position made it difficult for her to get away from either brother "Kindergarten rules pal, keep your hands to yourself."

Dean frowned, eyes turned serious as he pulled away a moment. She couldn't possibly think he was going to hurt her or try anything, could she? As he was about to ask her just that, Sam stepped in. "There's something on your back."

They eased back from her and she shifted so that she no longer had her back to the brothers. Leaning back Mae found herself boxed in by the taller men and she cautiously glanced between them.

"I have a tattoo." She said.

"Did you just get it?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," she smirked, "I've been doing it myself every time I've gone to take a leak. No, I've had it for years. Okay?"

Dean wanted to find a little more humor in her sarcasm, but he had seen it before, when it looked better, less angry and while he hadn't seen all of it last time, he knew it wasn't right. He knelt in front of her and made sure she caught the look in his eyes. He placed his hand lightly on her knee. "Let me look."

She hated when Dean looked at her like that. Worst yet, she hated that he could use her trick for diffusing tension with him on her with such ease.

"Man," Mae muttered but turned her back on him and lifted her shirt a little more, "if you're trying to act out some weird porno, I'm going to kick your ass and then yours." She pointed to Sam then Dean. Shooting a pointed glare at Sam once more, she looked over her shoulder. "And then yours again."

"Yeah well… oh my god."

If Sam had taken her threat seriously any worry, he had dissolved when he saw the raised red marks on her white skin.

"What?" She twisted, looking over her shoulder. Again, she shifted, trying to catch even a glance of what he had seen but Sam's hands fell against her hips to still her. The contact startled her because she hardly expected him to be the one to touch her. "Tell me what the you see."

Dean moved from his position at her side, pushing his brother out of the way and slid her shirt all the way up to the band of her bra. His fingers moved over the weaving welts but withdrew quickly. The marks were hot to the touch compared to the rest of her. "That hurt?"

She shook her head, apprehension working its way into those stormy gray eyes. "No. What's the problem? What's going on?"

His eyes moved from the mysterious inscription to her face. He tried to look calm even though alarm bells were going off in his head. He couldn't lie to her, even if he had a good one to tell her. She would see right through him. "It looks like you were branded."

"Branded?"

"Yeah. It's hot too. You don't feel it?"

Mae shook her head again. The other two hunters had her pinned in, so she couldn't get up to evaluate. Her hand twisted to touch the marking. Dean watched between her widening eyes and hand as it traced the lines and he was a bit surprised when he saw what he thought was relief. "It's in the shape of my gao yord."

"Your what now?"

"My tattoo. I thought… I thought for a minute it was the spell. And that cuneiform was cropping up on me."

"Okay," Dean began, "While I'd be pleased too, your back still looks like… like you hang out with a sadistic rancher. It looks bad."

Sam pressed his lips together, trying to come up with something she'd believe. "Maybe it's just infected."

"Dude… Sam, trust me, while there was a better than good chance, I would have gotten an infection… well the snake venom and all… it would have happened years ago."

"Snake venom?" Dean asked.

"It's a long story." That relief she felt was short lived as she thought about what all of this meant. "We should be more concerned that it's… this is bad."

Sam and Dean looked at each other, taking advantage of Mae not focusing on them. They both knew it wasn't good but not sure exactly what Mae was referring to. "We're not following you." Sam said.

Mae sigh, tugging her shirt into place and stood, trying to get the boys to stop hovering over her. "It doesn't matter, you wouldn't believe it anyway."

They exchanged a look and laughed slightly. "Do you have any idea who we are?" Dean asked.

"Even so..."

Her phone rang, shrilly disturbing her thought. But she didn't answer, she didn't want to answer right then. Annoyed, she raked her hands through her hair. "It's a pretty involved protection rite. If it's doing this, it's probably a sign that the other spell is trying to take over."

"It won't work." Sam said, but then he reconsidered, "right?"

Crossing her arms over her chest, she shook her head. "It shouldn't. I don't know, I've never done anything like this before, so I've never tested it this way."

It had been so quiet up until Sam noticed her back that they had all but forgotten that Grant was still in the room with them. The young man was standing behind Sam now, hesitant as he debated about speaking.

"That never happened to Angie."

The three hunters looked at him warily.

"That's because she wasn't as prepared as Red here." Dean said before anyone else could speak. "How long did it take from the time you cast the spell until she died?"

There was a moment of hurt in the young man's eyes before he shuffled nervously and crossed his arms over his chest too. "About a week. A little less… maybe 5 days."

Mae's phone rang again, and Sam was almost certain the woman growled. Still, she didn't make a move to answer it. He found it odd that she was avoiding the calls. Maybe she thought it was the Sheriff. She hadn't quite told them what had happened aside from the barest details.

"Okay," Dean said a little too enthusiastically when he turned back to Mae, "We've got some time."

"Yes, if you're trying to get me killed, we have some time. But you do realize that she was possessed before she died so once I'm possessed, we'll have some time but-" The third time her phone began to ring she finally got annoyed enough to answer it.

She spun around and grabbed her phone from the table. "What?" She snapped into the phone.

"Hey, I hadn't heard from you in a while. I thought I should check in with you. Everything okay?"

"Yeah," she sighed as she stood, "I'm fine."

She tried to be calm, collect herself, and not snap. But she had too many thoughts flying around her mind and she was trying to figure out how much time had passed. It wasn't late night anymore but early morning.

Mae didn't start to pace but she didn't feel particularly eager to have a conversation with Cal right then, at least not in front of Sam, Dean, and a total stranger.

"I'm fine. I should have called sooner." She said as she walked back to her room, easing the door closed behind her.

The act made Dean frown. And Sam was quite aware of what his brother was thinking when the woman made that shift from agitated to calm and how that phone call seemed to make her drop everything in the room. As his brother watched the door, Sam watched his brother. Spell or not, Mae had to be aware of the effect she had on Dean. She was too observant to simply think that her actions went unobserved.

"Okay try again," Cal said as he frowned on the other side of the line.

Mae sat on the edge of her bed with a resoundingly heavy sight. She didn't want to admit it but the call she was trying to avoid was something she wanted. Cal Norton had a strange calming effect on her, like her whole world wasn't one big ball of crazy.

And she found herself laughing just a bit. "I'm really okay, it's just been stressful."

"So, I've heard."

"How have you heard?"

"I got a call from a certain sheriff. You made quite an impression."

Again, she laughed but this time it didn't hold the same weariness. "Wow, he must not have gone on a date in a long time because I was not particularly charming. I didn't even put out."

"So why did you go on a date with him?"

"Are you 'dading' me?"

"I'm just concerned here Mae."

She rubbed at the knots forming in her shoulders. "Yeah get in line. I was only trying to get information and since you told him about me, I couldn't really steal the files I wanted. And it wasn't a 'date' date, it was dinner. It wasn't a thing."

"Alright. Also, I've been hearing some crazy shit's going on down there. Are you sure you don't need help?"

She shook her head. "What crazy shit?"

"Blood rain, unexplained fire, disappearing bodies, Satanism."

"Yeah, some of that's us...the body one, at least."

"You're stealing bodies."

"I will do a postmortem when we're done."

"You need help."

"Nah, I got help, don't worry about that. But if you don't hear from me in a few days, you might want to contact that list of people I gave you."

"See, that does not indicate that all is well."

"I promise you it's fine and in a day or two, this will all be over. I don't want you involved in it."

"You're not sugar coating anything."

"Time is not a luxury we have here, and I just don't think you need to be involved with this."

"Which is your way of saying I'd try to stop you."

"That's part of it and I'm not going to argue about this. Please just hold tight for a while. I'll be home before the week is out."

She hung up, then standing, walked over to the full-length mirror. She was alone in her room now but checked behind her, hoping that neither brother was looking at her before she eased her shirt up. A wave of nausea passed over her. Her plan seemed like a much better idea when she felt like she had control over it. But the tattoo meant to help protect her was reacting, like it might be in over drive. This was not the way she had it planned. To be honest, she hadn't planned things out much past telling Dean and Sam. Brusquely, she tugged her shirt back down when Dean entered her room.

A part of her wished that Dean was coming to comfort her or at least make her feel a little less bad about all this but judging from the look on his face she knew he was closer to irritated than anything else. "Who was that?"

"Who?"

"Don't play dumb. On the phone just now."

"An old friend."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning a friend, I've known a while. Like when you call, I classify that as a call from an old friend."

"You have the same history with that old friend?"

"Dean, you had a good thing going on when you were keeping your crazy in check. I'm 24 years old and that means I can be with anyone I want. It also means I can be friends with anyone I want, and you don't need to know the difference between the two."

Frowning, he scrubbed his hand over his face. He wasn't looking to start a fight with her and he could hardly explain why he felt this way. It wasn't like before, when he could barely control himself. This time it was a different feeling, one that told him she had secrets and didn't trust him with them. "I just… you have to be careful."

"You realize you are the riskiest bet I've ever made right?"

He opened his mouth but couldn't find the words. It, at least to Mae, said more than anything Dean could have put into words. And as she put aside her annoyance at the questions, she saw that while there was jealousy and hurt, there was also concern. There wasn't even that much jealousy she decided.

"I'm sorry, I'm...I'm not trying to start a fight here. I'm...this back thing threw me off a bit, okay? So that was Cal. He's kinda my... surrogate father. And he was worried about me because I hadn't called him since everything went to hell and… I just needed to talk to him I guess."

"What about Bobby?"

"Um...he and I haven't really talked since I started hunting again." She pushed her bangs out of her face, "Do we need to do this _right now_?"

"He did raise you, y'know."

"I was there and believe me there are reasons—no," she cut herself off, making a cutting gesture with her hands. "I'm not doing this with you."

"I'm just saying."

"I know what you're saying okay? Is there anything about my life you don't have a problem with?"

"It doesn't matter. I just thought we thought… the same way about family."

"Maybe we don't. Maybe you'll never understand why I did what I did, and I'll never understand why you didn't do something you wanted to do."

"There's nothing I want to do if I have to give up the people, I love to do it."

Her lips pursed as she thought and reconsidered the man, just a bit. She had always assumed he was more worried about disappointing his father, but it really did come down to love for him. And she simply didn't have it in her to argue with him. "I… I don't know what to tell you."

"You don't owe me an explanation sweetheart. I just don't know why you go looking for something you already have."

"That's not exactly how it happened. I don't...now is not the time for a primer on who is my family and who isn't."

"You know Bobby loved you right?"

"Dean...I swear to God, I would honestly rather be possessed than go through this whole song and dance about...all of this."

"He did."

"Right well… love can't keep us together."

Dean himself wasn't even sure why this was a sticking point for him, why he cared so much that she saw the truth. No matter what happened to her, he knew it could be worse. And while she hadn't said it, he knew she was implying that she couldn't count on Bobby. His dad may not have done their family a favor when it came to dealing with her uncle but she was family, which meant it was different. "You can be pretty cold, you know that Mae?"

She looked him dead in the eye and while Dean expected her to be hurt or mad, there was nothing of the sort there. In fact, the look in her blue gray eyes was rather sad, like she already knew and accepted it, like she couldn't change it. "I know."

Even as she froze him out, she didn't want to. When he came in, she'd hoped he was going to offer her some sort of comfort. She would have accepted it. The interrogation wasn't what she was ready for and she didn't need it. It had been so easy to forget about all their issues, all their concerns, and everything they had glossed over. Even more reason, she thought, to cut ties. This kind of distraction was counterproductive to the job.

Dean's intention had been to come check on her. Temper was one thing, but he finally saw some hear in her eyes, heard it in her voice. But he couldn't stop that sense of jealousy inching in that she might be taking a call from the sheriff. It didn't make sense, he knew. She was getting ready to let herself be possessed, not trying to get laid or anything else.

Her secret life felt... it felt personal. He knew he couldn't expect her to stay the same. She obviously wasn't the same girl she was at 16 so why did he find it so odd to believe that she had other friends, maybe even other family. He knew he didn't, not really. But Sam had. Sam had made friends, had a girlfriend, in his other life. Mae probably did too. It seemed impossible that she'd brought them along when she started hunting again but maybe she hadn't shared all the details of her life with them either.

It was irrational to feel slighted because she had moved on with her life in some fashion. Before he derailed things, she seemed to have frayed a bit. The only thing worse than seeing that fear creep in was seeing her get upset enough to shut down her emotions. He didn't want to be the one who upset her like that. He wanted to be the one she came to when she needed help.

"Are you okay?"

"Not really." There was no reason to lie to him or even hide behind anything but the truth. "Listen, I know I said this is what I want to do but…I'm just a little scared. I though, I don't know, that we'd be able to pick the time and place but maybe it just happens...whenever."

"I'm still not going to let anything happen to you."

"Except you have to, Dean. That's the whole point."

"I mean anything worse. I... maybe we can get ahead of this...dangle you as bait but not let it take possession of you and send it to hell or back to an idol without it even touching you."

"Yeah, maybe." She couldn't have said it with less conviction.

To his surprise, she crossed the short distance to him and put her arms around his middle. There wasn't anything he could say to make it better, to make her feel better. Just like there wasn't anything he could tell himself that seemed convincing. They were stuck in a bad situation, trying to make the best of it and keep others from being hurt. Rather than say anything, he just wrapped his arms around her and held her fast against his body.


	41. Chapter 41

* * *

Mae was tall, and her frame was lean but, in his arms, she seemed impossibly delicate. Dean felt compelled to protect her. It was an easy feeling, comparatively. He was supposed to take care of her, make sure she was safe. Right now, Mae looked lost, a bit anxious. He could see that little girl he remembered whose eyes were a bit too big and wide, who's bright red hair tended to draw a stark contrast to her pale skin. A small smile grew on his face as he recalled when they were little the way she would crawl into bed with him when she was frightened but rarely voiced why. For the longest time, he found it annoying but now, he felt nostalgic.

Now, crawling in bed together or turning to each other for any form of comfort or reassurance felt awkward. Dean wished he felt annoyed rather than uncomfortable. At least when he felt obligated, he never felt like the slightest wrong move could make things worse. He reached out to brush those red strands of hair out of her face before cupping her cheek. In a few seconds, her expression morphed from displeasure to vulnerability to acceptance and amused him enough to cause his smile to become full-blown. She leaned into his touch for just a moment before she closed her eyes with a sigh.

"I don't know what to do with you."

"What do you mean?"

"You aren't simple. Everything about you is complicated for me."

"I'm... sorry?"

"I just feel like I'm losing my mind. Did you know, when I was out with Brand, you were there, in the back of my mind. I mean, I thought about a lot of things but… I kept coming back to you."

His looked beyond cocky and even though he stood still she could see the swagger in his hips and curving of his mouth. The man was almost as charming as he was irritating. Irritating won out in the end.

"No, don't be flattered here, Dean. This is an intensely weird situation, we've both been erratic and I... just so," she sighed, "this is so messed up and, it's because of you."

"Hey, I did not cast this stupid spell."

"I don't mean it's because of you that we're in this situation but if you and I weren't working this together, maybe we both wouldn't be in this situation, in the crazy emotional distraction part I mean."

"Yeah, fair enough. I... for what it's worth, that wasn't my intention when I asked you to join us."

"It would be super weird if it was. I just...I thought things would be easier, between you and me, you know."

His hand dropped away from her face and he pulled her back into the hug. Talking to her this time would be easier if he weren't looking at her.

"I mean, some of it was. some of it was almost nice. Wasn't it?"

"You mean the spell that used us to take advantage of each other or the constant sniping? Were those the nice parts?"

"I never knew you were such a pessimist."

Mae laughed. "Realist. You're the one who wants to paint this all rosy toned."

"Before you even got here, we were getting better. We were talking like normal people and... if we leave off the sex and fighting...this was...not that bad."

"I'll try to keep that in mind when I'm getting possessed."

"Don't start with that. You're going to be fine."

"All the same, this whole thing has me thinking about... And... right now, I don't know what else is real, between us. But there was a time where I loved you, okay?"

The disjointed confession made him more uncomfortable. Letting go of the woman, he cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head. As much as he wanted to hear her say she loved him, that wasn't the way he'd envisioned. She said it like goodbye. He couldn't say if they had any sort of future, but he wanted to find out. "Mae I—"

Whatever Dean was going to say to her was cut short when Sam walked into the room.

"Hey there's something on the police scanner you guys should hear."

Mae took a weary breath and nodded as she composed herself. "Good, good. Thanks."

* * *

The three hunters sat at the table listening to the banter on the radio. It left the room in an uneasy peace. According to the police, a huge fight had broken out and if the radio chatter was to be believed it was all over not just one but six separate claims of infidelity. It was a lead they had to follow. "Well that's definitely for us." Dean muttered.

"And it's totally a trap." Sam added

Both brothers looked over at the redhead who, already on her way to getting her gear, in turn gave them a look of 'what can you do?'. "Hey, I was good and stayed put. Clearly someone else has other ideas."

Sam shook his head. "I'm not sure—"

Dean was however, and he wasn't planning on pussyfooting around it. "You can't go."

There was a finality in his statement that had her bristling again. Only this time, she bit her cheek and tried to be rational rather than emotional. "This is the exact opportunity we were looking for Dean. I'm so tired of fighting with you."

He shook his head. "We're not ready."

"Sam knows the exorcism, I'm ready, what with… having a body. You have the figurines. And we have signs of demonic activity. I don't know what else you're looking for."

He stood and pulled her to the side, trying to secure just a little privacy in a very public place. "I know what I said earlier but I'm not okay with this. And this feels really off."

With a soft sigh, Mae moved in front of Dean, arms crossed over her chest. "So, you're fine with letting this just happen to those people?"

"I-I don't know. There has to be another way."

"If you can think of it, I'll do it, but this could be the opportunity we need. If it were you or Sam in my position, you wouldn't argue with me as much. I'm not being crazy or anything else. You know I'm right. What else has to happen before we do what has to be done?"

"You're not Sam or me so it's different. It seems… reckless."

It made her smile, just a little. "Because I'm a girl?"

"No. Because you used to be my girl." He said softly. That of course made her feel both embarrassed and touched.

"Well… that's somehow flattering and still insulting. Can you just roll with me on this?"

Dean sighed. He knew he had no other choice really. There was ample proof that she had been picked and not even his brother could come up with a way to get her out of it safely. "It's not easy."

"Right well…" God, she thought, she had the urge to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him but didn't, "I don't want you to get hurt either."

"I thought you said we'd have more control, offering you up. Being lured out into this doesn't feel like we're really on top of things."

Mae tried to lighten the mood. "My assistant really sucks at her job because she hasn't been able to make sure this thing will conform to our schedule."

She said it with a smile, but it didn't work on Dean. "You're sticking by my side the whole time. That's not a point I'm willing to argue or budge on. Deal?"

"Fair enough. What about the kid?" Dean looked away from the woman he was concerned about to the young man who had set all of this into motion. "We can't just leave him here." She said.

"Yeah and bringing him might be stupid."

"I'm pretty sure we're past the point where we have a plethora of non-stupid options."

After contemplating a moment, Dean turned back to her. "Remind me next time I want to hang out with you that this is the sort of thing that happens."

* * *

A part of her hoped that things would have improved by the time they arrived at the scene. It wasn't until they arrived that they realized the stupidest part of their idea was going together. Sam and Dean could have gotten away with it but with Mae in tow, it made their story a little dicey. It was Grant that made things worse. He was still on the run and none of their backstories added up to them knowing each other.

"Crap." Sam summed it up nicely.

"Well we can…" Mae, sitting in the front passenger seat drummed her fingers on the dashboard as she drew a blank.

"Okay you stay with Grant." Sam proposed to Mae.

"No," His brother cut him off with an undeniable authority, "She's not leaving our sight and…"

"You and I can go, Dean. We can come up with some excuse if we have to, while we scope things out."

"But this isn't about you and Dean being able to lie. It's about the possibility of you getting possessed without us being ready for it."

"I'll be good, I promise." The meek offer came from Grant and while the three didn't quite believe or trust the kid, they had half the sheriff department on the scene to keep him in check.

"As much as I want to go out there, I need to stay here because getting possessed here...well, it just puts a lot of people ask risk. We don't really know what this demonic smack-down is going to look like, but they surely don't care about innocent bystanders." Mae conceded. "Of course, with you two gone, who's to say it's not going to zero in on me and boy wizard here and grab us both."

"Okay great, we're screwed." Dean glanced over at her, knowing she was right. Mae had her doubts which made Dean feel strange about using her, in addition to his already huge list of concerns about her plan. "So, what, do we just head back to the motel and pretend like this isn't happening?"

"No," Mae shook her head, "find out what we're dealing with. I mean, if this is when I get grabbed, it's better for you to be close than me being too far away. It's just...too many variables. But we need to know."

"She's right." Sam interjected, "We need to go out and figure out what we're dealing with."

"I'm not leaving her here to be poached."

Mae felt a distinctly nervous tremor run through her stomach. Vocalizing it would have only caused Dean to worry more and worry wouldn't achieve anything. "I'll be fine. I can't exactly run out there with this target on my back and we can't bring Grant along."

* * *

Panic rushed Mae's system. Dean brushed her hair out of her face as her eyes fluttered open. "Wha-?"

"Shhh…" He shushed her as he cupped her cheek. She moved, or rather tried moving, only to have Dean hold her firmly in place. "Stay still for a second."

Again, she blinked and tried withdrawing from him as he attempted to hold her head in place. He was crouched in the open car door and rather than being seated facing forward, she'd been moved so she faced sideways, legs out of the door. "What happened?"

"We were all here and then...then you and Sam got out and then... then you were here again. My head kills. Do you know what happened?"

She recalled leaving the motel, the awkward drive to the crime scene, and the back and forth she had going on with Dean. He was there for everything else she recalled. He wasn't doing anything to mask the concern that creased his handsome face, worrying her even more.

"I have no clue what happened." Frowning, he tucked her hair behind her ear. He knew he needed to stop touching her and act like a hunter. He kept checking her over as a weak excuse to keep her this close. Even as he told himself to stop, he couldn't. "This is not good."

"Oh man," She said as she reached to scratch the back of her head only to find a growing bump there, "what the hell? Did I get hit on the head?"

He stilled her hand, taking both of hers in his, holding their joined hands in her lap. "Maybe, I don't know. You were out cold when we came back to the car."

His heart struggled to catch up from the initial shock of seeing the back passenger side door open and Mae slumped forward, motionless. His first concern fell to her rather than their fugitive amateur witch boy. There were no words that spoke to the relief finding her unconscious rather than something worse. Dean had sat her upright and tried to bring her around. Sam only paused him once to ask if he thought she might be possessed.

That was something Dean couldn't answer but knew they would have to soon. The woman's movement brought him back to the present.

She shook her head, not because she didn't believe him- she did- but because she was trying to piece it back together. "What about-"

Despite the headache it caused, she whipped her head around to look for Grant only to find Sam as the lone occupant. "Where the hell did the kid go?"

"Another answer we need." Sam added, although he was coming up with a theory, something he had worried about when they left Mae to watch Grant. Not because it was Mae but anyone who had to stay with the kid would have been in danger. It was just worse with her because she was the key to the whole plan.

"How long were you gone?"

"10, maybe 15 minutes," Dean said.

"I have...no idea what happened. It... I just don't know."

It all left her feeling both stupid and in pain, so it was two strikes against her. As she bowed her head and pressed her fingers to her temples, Dean placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don't beat yourself up, it would have happened to whichever one of us stayed to watch him."

"So, you're saying you'd feel just peachy keen about getting blindsided by some kid?"

"Sure," He said with a blustering smirk that faded at her indignant and doubtful look, "okay, not really. It was a rookie mistake." He knew she would rather be teased than comforted, which was more difficult than Dean anticipated. "But… it might have happened to Sam."

She smiled slightly with a tiny laugh, but more reassuring was when she squeezed his hand back. "Well, it's not like I didn't think he'd try to make a break for it. I just figured he'd wait until we were somewhere else. Or that he feared me enough to hold off."

"Maybe he was scared of something more, like a terrifying redhead made worse after being possessed." Sam suggested, giving her a tongue-in-cheek wink and a doubly charming smile as he rested on chin on his folded arms over the back of the seat beside her. Her stomach twisted as a mixed of self-pity for her screw up, comfort from the kind and reassuring brothers, and a sick feeling of knowing she should keep them at a distance to keep them all safe.

"There are some distinctly frightening thoughts surrounding that prospect. No offense sweetheart."

Mae shrugged it off; she wasn't paying attention to him anyway. "You didn't see me get my skull bashed in during your 1-800-Psychics moment, did you Sammy?"

He let the nickname slide this time as he shook his head. "I didn't even see this kid."

"Maybe he's not important to all this then."

Sam's eyes widened with disbelief. So far, Mae hadn't received the idea that his dreams were anything but dreams. If she had, she'd done little to tell him.

"Well let me tell you, I would have rather known about being wanged on the head."

Sam couldn't explain it, this did seem like the sort of thing that would have come up. Although, he didn't understand the visions. And this wasn't the way his visions normally went. They were usually clearer and immediate. None of the danger she had been in so far were dangerous, not fatally so it had to be something else he thought. "Sorry."

"C'mon man, you're not my telepathic house mother. I shouldn't have turned my back on him," She took her hand from Dean's and touched the back of her head again, "damn, what did that kid hit me with?"

"Whatever it was, he took it with him." Sam said.

"We still sure he wasn't possessed the whole time? Because we weren't exactly keeping mum around him."

Sam shook his head. "I mean, he crossed lines, handled things he shouldn't have been able to if he were possessed. I don't know, I think he was just scared. But if he were possessed, we can't do anything about it now. Besides, that doesn't mean our plan is totally shot."

As Mae listen to Sam, Dean took advantage of her distracted state and threw the holy water in her face. Mae managed to gasp and squeal at the same time, blinking in surprise several times before turning her attention toward the man to her side. He thought she might be mad or at the very least upset but once the shock eased from her face, she wiped her face off with her sleeve.

"You know, there are subtler ways to check if I'm shacking up with a demon."

"This was easier." He said smugly.

Mae could only roll her eyes. "Okay well, you think I'm clean?"

The brothers exchanged a confirming look before they nodded. "Unless this works different somehow." Sam added.

"I don't feel possessed, if that's any consolation."

It wasn't, not to Dean at any rate. Not because she obviously couldn't tell them if she were possessed but because for a moment, he saw real fear in her eyes. It made him wonder if his brother's visions were wrong or pointing to something entirely different. Maybe he wasn't at risk for getting stabbed by Mae, maybe she didn't get attacked by the sheriff at all.

At this point, he hoped any part of his brother's vision might come true because he had prepared for those threats. He wasn't ready for her to be possessed or assaulted by anyone else. Worrying about her this much would be the end of him.

"Oh… gimme a break here." Her mutter brought the attention of both boys to her again.

Following her eye line, they both cursed simultaneously. They did not need this but knowing their luck it wasn't particularly surprising. Mae had been spotted and damned if she didn't have to make the best of it. Despite the throbbing headache and slight ringing in her ears, she pasted on a fake smile and eased out of the car as Dean moved out of her way.

Dean hovered cautiously, planning their story as she offered a lackluster wave to Sheriff Brand. Mae could practically feel the daggers that shot out of Dean's eyes only she wasn't sure if they were directed at her or Tony. His hand was still at the small of her back. It wasn't entirely unwelcome, she decided; she felt slightly lightheaded now that she was standing.

"Dude, why the hell did you invite him over?"

"Be good, he was going to come over anyway. After all, it's kind of odd that I'm here and with the FBI." she said through her forced smile.

"You do recall he was in Sam's dream strangling you, don't you?"

"Do you think he's going to choke me out right here and now. And you and Sam will just hang back?"

Dean didn't like it, but he refrained from telling her that. It only seemed to annoy her. And the sheriff was too close now for them to keep arguing.

"What are you doing here, Mae?"

"Small town, Tony, word gets around quick."

Dean took an instant dislike to the familiarity between the two. They weren't supposed to be chummy, that wasn't part of the deal. Sure, it was a deal he had only made with himself but that didn't mean he liked it. Dean told himself that this wasn't any of his business. They were working; illusion was part of the game and Mae was a good hunter. He trusted her, he knew that logically she was just playing her roll right then.

That didn't stop the slow creep of jealousy up his spine. That blinding rage and a need to make her as his wasn't there, like it had been before. That had to be a good sign. He had never really felt that way about her before. Maybe he should have felt that way. After all, Mae was an eye-catching girl and if you got past her defenses, she was funny, sweet, and giving. He knew other men would be attracted to her for all those reasons and maybe she was different with them.

He supposed he had always taken that for granted; the fact that she was his girl and he'd never seen anyone else interested in her. Or worse, her interested in someone else. In that moment, he was hit with a painful understanding; she never belonged to him, she didn't belong to anyone. Whatever claim he had once laid to her no longer meant anything.

Maybe he should have figured that out long before. Why did it take this act she was pulling with the sheriff? He and Mae had a history, were history, all the good and bad between them was in the past. It was a hopeful wish that, despite whatever brought them to this point, the thread of connection might still hold them together. But more importantly, he realized, it wasn't the past alone that connected them Not anymore. This was possibly the least convenient time to recognize that he wanted her, that he was still in love with her.

"That may be, but this is an active crime scene." The sheriff chided.

And that brought him back to the odd look he was getting from the sheriff. Dean was certain he couldn't see that he had slid his hand under the hem of her shirt and he was betting that Mae wouldn't give it away right then. He knew she'd smack him for it later, but he couldn't resist teasing her a bit. Dean imagined that she pulled out her innocent, wide-eyed look, heavily flirtatious.

"You can't expect that to deter an intrepid reporter such as myself."

"So, you just take your '69 Impala out to investigate reports of assault and battery?"

She reached behind her back, grabbing Dean's fingers in a vice-like grip to keep his mouth shut. "'67 actually," She corrected for his benefit, "And yes, I guess you could say that's right."

"And you've enlisted the aid of the FBI now?"

"Ah, no. Actually uh, might surprise you but your quiet little town has sort of gone loco. I think I was jumped and got the back of my head bashed in pretty good. Fortunately, these agents were near enough, and they helped me out."

The hint of doubt left his eyes and was replaced with genuine concern. "Are you alright?"

She nodded but before she could say anything, Sam stepped up beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe she should get checked over by the EMT. You can never be too safe with head injuries."

It was true but odd for him to say. As the protest lingered on her tongue, she felt the disturbingly chill slide of metal down the back of her pants. She wasn't sure what he had slipped her but obviously he thought she would figure it out and that it involved going off with the sheriff.

"Yeah," she said, "you might be right. Thank you, agents."

"And it's your brilliant idea to let her go off with that jackass why?" Dean finally asked when the two were out of earshot but not before Sheriff Brand put his arm around Mae.

"Because, she can get close enough to find out if he's possessed. We really don't know who's on our side out here."

"I know that, but we can't just leave her out in the open like this."

Sam smirked a little. "We're not. We'll keep an eye on her and track down Grant, considering he not only took off, but he tried to take Mae out in the process."

He couldn't argue, and Dean was really beginning to hate not arguing on these things. "I'll…"

"Go after the kid." Sam ordered while trying to not make it sound like an order, "I mean, you're a better tracker and I won't try to feel up Mae in front of Brand over there."

Dean glared at his brother for a while before realizing he was still right. "Fine."


	42. Chapter 42

* * *

Divide and conquer. The trio didn't need any more suspicion into their backstories from the sheriff or anyone else at the moment. Sam understood that, so did Mae. Under other circumstances, Dean would too. His jealousy wasn't overwhelming this time but the way his fingers trailed up, under her shirt, along her back was completely unnecessary. A strange territorial gesture meant mostly for her rather than the other man.

Regardless of the gesture or intention, they still had a job to do. Sam and Dean couldn't very well do it with nosy law enforcement breathing down their necks. Sam could have wanted to make sure she wasn't hurt. That seemed to be a Sam-like motivation. Either way, they could use the chance to draw attention away from the boys.

Tony escorted her over to the ambulance and when his hand came to rest on her shoulder, she knew Dean went a bit insane. Knowing he was still watching her, she tried not to react in any way that might distract Dean from the work. they he needed to do with the opportunity she was giving them.

Once she had been properly delivered, Mae sat on the back of the open ambulance. She hadn't been the first person to visit and probably wouldn't be the last it seemed. She could feel her pulse at the base of her skull but knew, at worst it was a mild concussion. It didn't hurt any less. Her memory wasn't any clearer yet and she couldn't say one way or another what had happened, but she wasn't feeling any better.

Her headache was getting worse. It wouldn't be the first time, but it felt more like the headaches she got when she had been under the influence of the spell. Or when one of the spirit demons had been near her. It obviously wasn't something she could tell the EMT. The EMT did give her a quick examination, making sure her pupils were dilating properly and checking her scalp for any lacerations.

Cautiously, she slid her hand behind her back and smirked a bit as she identified the shape of a flask. She assumed, because it had been Sam who slipped it to her, that it was holy water. She gritted her teeth because she hardly wanted to give credence to the idea that Sheriff Brand was possessed. Sure, she had considered the same thing and tested it. He hadn't been possessed earlier, she was sure of that. But that didn't mean he was safe now. Anything was possible at this point. Mostly, she bristled at the idea that he might get hurt because of this. She liked the man and he didn't deserve that.

"You okay?"

He surprised her; her attention was far too divided. Anthony Brand, leaning against the frame of the ambulance door, asked her as he handed her a paper cup of water. There was no need for him to give her this kind of attention, to spend this much time with her, when he had real work to do. She nodded, giving him a tight-lipped smile.

"Awesome."

"Let me ask you, why are you really here?"

"I got knocked out and for once I agree that perhaps medical attention is a good idea."

"I mean right now, why would you be in this very spot right now? Why are you here in Twin Falls at all?"

"I told you, I'm writing an article on the high crime levels and what might be causing them. I just happened to be here while things are going nutso. This does seem like a weird sort of outbreak of violence on this fine morning."

He stared her down. It was the sort of look that might have made others nervous, especially if they were telling a series of bald-faced lies like she was. But even if she had a conclusion, it was second nature. And at her unflinching albeit pained expression, he broke first.

He ran his hand down his face. "I'm just… I don't have a good bead on what's happening."

Unfortunately, she felt a pang of sympathy and understanding. He was completely correct; he didn't have a good bead on what was happening. Mae hated using him like this. He didn't know any what was really going on, he was just as far behind the curve as anyone could be. But she got the feeling that he was so desperate at that moment that he would have taken anything she could have given him. "Right well… who could? I mean, this isn't random violence or anything you've seen before."

"What do you mean?"

"Kinda seems like pandemonium. Short of something in the drinking water, what makes a town go from zero to crazy in a few weeks? That's not something most people have seen before."

All she could offer him was another tight-lipped smile. Telling him the truth would only serve to, at best, get her sent to the hospital because he'd think the head injury was worse than it seemed. Frustrated, he turned from her, surveying the landscape of confused people and emergency vehicles. Aggravation aside, Sheriff Brand took some satisfaction in the fact that things seemed to have calmed down significantly.

"And it's scaring a lot of them too."

She nodded, leaning down enough to pour the remainder of her cup of water on the ground as soundlessly as possible so that she could fill it with the water from the flask. Before she had a chance to put her plan into action, the light-haired man turned back to her with a new look in his eyes.

Tony leaned in. "You know, there was one thing missing from last night."

"What's that?" Mae asked, skeptical.

When his lips met hers, she was genuinely surprised. She might have kissed him back, if they weren't in the middle of a job and she wasn't in the eye-line of Sam or Dean. God, she hoped Dean had taken off after the kid. At least Sam wouldn't be irrational about this. Brand was nice, handsome and decent. While unexpected, the kiss was neither intrusive or particularly passionate. It was friendly, albeit ill timed.

It gave her an opportunity and even knowing she'd have to explain it later or possibly fight with Dean over it, she wasn't going to pass this one up. It was far easier to manipulate a man if he thought he made a girl weak in the knees. She wrapped her arm around the sheriff's neck, deepening the kiss as she pulled herself to her feet. The position gave her an adequate position for her move, even if it wasn't at all clever or graceful. He was alarmed when the holy water went down the back of his shirt. All he did was yelp. Totally a human reaction, not a demon one.

This time her smile was sheepish as she apologized for the 'accident'. "Sorry, I got carried away."

"That's alright Mae. It probably wasn't the smartest thing I've decided to do lately."

"It's okay. Wait, lately? You've been feeling… weird lately?"

"No," He shook his head, "not really. I thought I might be coming down with something but…" He shrugged, and her eyes narrowed.

Maybe the sheriff had been experiencing the same things she had. Or that could have been grasping at straws. Perhaps she wanted him to be a little more involved because it would mean everything, she had felt for him was also being influenced by this spell. She didn't believe that was the case. What she had felt so far seemed normal, boring even, particularly when compared to the insanity she had experienced with Dean.

Her hand moved from the place it rested on his shoulder, down his arm. Her slender fingers slid over his skin in a way that he might have found sensual or even touching but she was certain she felt the unusual heat from the faintly developing lines.

She squinted. "What on your arm?"

Even as she asked the question, she knew the answer. The man glanced at his arm for a moment and then back up her. "Must be a rash."

It wasn't. It wasn't anything close and lord did she want it to be a rash. Her mind went spinning, trying to calculate the chances that he'd be possess, that he could be another target for one or both spirit demons. It wasn't out of the realm of possibilities. He had been at perhaps all the same places she and Dean had been to, very likely been exposed to the same spell materials, and this spell could absolutely be working on him too. It also meant that their potential exposure pool had expanded to any number of other law enforcement officers who had been investigating this.

Damn, she cursed under her breath. This wasn't remotely good.

* * *

Sam kept an eye on Mae, as best he could, as he made his assessment of the scene. There wasn't much of a scene, the thought. That, of course, made it feel like more and more of a trap. It set a dangerous atmosphere for Mae and Dean to be alone. Or together. It was dangerous either way. The real question was, who was the trap for? Mae? His brother? Grant? Someone else? Things were supposed to be getting clearer, they should have been closer to stopping things, not widening the search and adding more variables.

Suddenly, he regretted slipping his flask to the redheaded woman. Maybe the sheriff really was possessed, and he had just suggested she go off with him, only to expose the truth, leaving her vulnerable and exposed. Dean had taken off on foot to see if he could find Grant. He and Mae would catch up to him and continue the search if he were unlucky so far. Taking the car wasn't an option quite yet, while they were under the watchful eye of the sheriff, who though it belonged to Mae.

When Sam shifted his attention back to Mae, he was unprepared for the sight: Mae, with her arms around the Sheriff's neck as he planted a kiss on her. At least Dean wasn't around. It would have been one step too far and he knew he couldn't control his brother's reaction to that. Spell or not, he wouldn't have liked seeing anyone getting chummy with the redhead.

Then Sam smirked. He should have given the woman more credit, as he watched her pour water down the man's shirt. He assumed it was the holy water, although, he supposed she could have been trying to get him to back off. There were more subtle ways but even Dean would have approved of that.

Even from a distance, he could see the color drain from her face as she ran her hand down the man's arm. Something was wrong. He hadn't reacted to the holy water but whatever the issue was did not come across to him. So, he decided he would come to her aid.

When he got close enough, her head shifted, and they made eye contact. It surprised him that he was able to communicate wordlessly with her almost as easily as he could with his brother. The slight nod of his head was met with a similar gesture from her before she turned back to the sheriff and that act was back in place. It only took a few moments for her to excuse herself, a little longer than normal because she had to convince the medic and the sheriff that she was willing to take on the risk of her possible concussion. Sam still had some reservations about her not getting treated, but he knew it was a waste of energy to attempt to convince her to go to the hospital.

He fell into line with her as they walked in the direction of the Impala. "Hey so… what's up?"

"What's up?" she repeated skeptically, "Do you mean is Brand a demon? Or do you mean how's your splitting headache?"

"Both."

"No and awful."

She looked tired but her eyes where sharp and he'd watched her walk, still with no difficulty or staggering. She seemed to be able to track the conversation and everything else. Her sarcasm was certainly intact, so he reasoned she wasn't displaying any cognitive lags so far. "Maybe you should sit down."

"Dude, let's just get this over with. Then I can slip into a well-deserved coma."

It wasn't funny but for some reason he laughed. He was beginning to get used to that hunter's humor again. So, he smirked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you sure you're okay?" This time he asked with a little more concern in his voice.

Her response was tailored with an equal portion of earnest. "I'm okay enough."

They got in the car with Sam behind the wheel and paused a moment. "We do have a problem though."

"Yeah, you playing tonsil hockey with the sheriff."

Mae pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "Okay, no. First, he kissed me, I just used it. Second, where my tongue goes is the least of our worries right now. The problem being it seems like he's on deck to be possessed too."

"Did you sleep with him too?"

His question wasn't entirely judgmental, only slightly. It was more inquisitive than anything. "Sleeping with me is not equivalent to getting your ticket punched for a ride on the possession roller coaster. No, I didn't sleep with him. Maybe...I don't know, I don't know how the sex or lack thereof factors in at this point. But he's got that script starting in on his skin too. And you know what, don't lay your morality on me Sam. If I wanted to-"

He held up his hands but still cut her off. "That's your call. I'm—I don't care about that part, I care about the spell part. Because if you didn't, who did?"

"Well… I don't know. If it was anything like Dean and me... I guess it could be anyone and not much could have stopped it. I don't think that's the case. He strikes me as the sort of guy who wouldn't handle that sort of thing casually. But… I'd be lying if I claimed that I understood anything that was going on here."

"Yeah."

"You get the feeling that we're just so close to knowing what's going on but like, the second we've almost got it figured out, we're like Charlie Brown and Lucy with the football?"

"I mean, maybe it is a set up. I don't know how anyone would know this is where you, me, or Dean would be but..."

The both sighed before Sam took out his phone to call Dean. After finding out where his brother was, Sam started the car and began making his way to Dean's location, a few blocks away.

"Hey, can I ask that...at least while things are so weird with Dean and I, can you not say anything about what you saw?"

Sam didn't even have to ask what she was talking about. There was only one thing that Dean had missed that would she might want to keep secret. "I didn't think that would matter to you."

The youngest Winchester could be a pain in the ass, she decided, and his know-it-all grin on his face made her wonder why he didn't get smacked more often. "I... whatever happens between your brother and I... well I don't know what that might be. But I'm not trying to...make him jealous or mad or whatever. I just want...this isn't a good time for us to figure out if we even still like being around each other, let alone..." she trailed off, "The point being, it'll bother your brother and you know what he's like when he's bothered."

"If you want my opinion—"

"Do I look like I want it?"

He looked almost hurt. Mae wasn't sure if it was intention or simply something Sam was able to convey naturally. She took a quick breath and tried to soften her tone. "Listen, don't read into this, I just want to keep from having another fight with him. And there wasn't anything to that kiss."

Sam didn't believe her, not entirely. Sure, he knew she was tired of fighting. They all were tired of the fighting. Her feeling for the sheriff were unclear and he could easily believe that she was either using him out of convenience or that she had a bit of a crush on him. Neither explanation for the event would have truly set well with his brother, given his feelings for the woman. He also knew Dean was worried about her and what the fallout from this whole job might be. Not that he disagreed about keeping that little tidbit between them. It wouldn't be beneficial for Dean to know.

"Yeah, okay. It would just cause more problems."

"And we don't need any more of those."

As if on cue, Dean jogged up to them, alone. "We have a problem."


	43. Chapter 43

* * *

They didn't just have a problem, they had a big problem. Dean found Grant alright. Unfortunately for him, Dean had not been able to get find the young man in time to save him. Of course, Dean suspected he never would have. Their young spell caster met his untimely end to the same power that had tried to take Mae, according to Dean. They had all been wondering when it would happen but none of them expected it like this or so suddenly.

It however has been grizzly enough scene, in its speed, intensity, and the pain that the boy had experienced that Dean had major doubts about this plan of Mae's once again. There wasn't room for error and he didn't want to see her go through any more pain. The sound the man made was unlike anything Dean had heard. That pain seemed to rip through him until he seized as if he had been electrocuted and the spirit then dropped him to the ground, stone dead.

The young man didn't have a chance. They all knew it, but it didn't bode well for the upcoming hours of possibly days. Knowing they hadn't been there in time to save him either sent up alarm bells about leaving Mae on her own too. She needed to be protected and Dean had no intention of letting her go through that same thing.

After Dean met up with Sam and Mae and gave them the rundown on what he'd seen, they decided to regroup on what appeared to be neutral ground, the motel. In that moment, Mae was doubting her own plan, not because it didn't make sense-it still did and was their only option, but because she felt like she was just speeding up her own death. It wouldn't be for lack of trying but she wasn't sure Sam and Dean would be able to pull this off and save her.

For someone who has spent the past few years trusting her own ability to hunt and trying to keep as many people at as distance as possible, it was an impossible position to be in, having to depend solely on two other people. They'd do whatever they could to save her, she knew, but at some point, it would come down to who was stronger; the spirit demons or the brothers. This whole plan seemed hopeless.

Back in the boys' motel room, Mae needed a moment to herself, so she stepped into her room. She knew, even though he hadn't vocalized it, Dean wouldn't give her much space. Already, they came in and out of each other's rooms without knocking so she was sure he wouldn't be too far behind her. He wasn't going to let her out of his sight. There was no way she could get far enough away from the boys to react to this.

Unfortunately for her pride, her, the move did not go unnoticed by the brothers and even as she walked away, she was followed. The hand that landed on her shoulder was Dean's and the concern that etched over his handsome face did little to sooth those emotions that threatened to bubble up.

"Hey, you know…" He cleared his throat as he took in the skeptical and angry look on her face, "I wish there was something I could say."

"About?"

He wanted to laugh, just a little but knew better. Plus, that predictable denial was comforting for some reason. "Anything at all. I'm not sure how to deal with you anymore."

"You don't have to _deal_ with me at all."

"Ease up on the throttle there, Mavis. That's not what I mean at all. I mean that once upon a time, we used to be able to talk to each other like people, like friends. And we used to say the right things to make everything seem better, even if it were only for a few moments." He took a deep breath, "And I don't have any idea what I could say right now."

Mae closed her eyes with a soft sigh. His worry was evident. So was his concern. And he wasn't trying to fight with her about this or anything. He was genuinely trying to help. This time, the only thing he had done to earn her hostility was be kind to her in a moment she was vulnerable. "I don't know that there's anything you need to say. We both know the score here. And, " taking his other statement in to mind she ran a frustrated hand through her hair, "I don't know that there's anything to say to make it better."

"I still wish there were. But, I'm gonna keep you safe, okay? And before you jump on me for deciding I think you're some damsel in distress-"

Mae pressed her lips together. She'd been scared doing this job before but nothing like this. Nothing recently where she felt like she needed, neigh wanted to have someone else by her side, someone else she could count on. "I may not be a damsel but... this is less than ideal."

Touching her, to comfort her and himself, was his instinct but knew she wouldn't respond well now. "Yeah."

"I really don't want to die in this stupid town Dean."

"Then I'll do it."

"Stop trying to sacrifice yourself. Besides, you can't, not for my part. You've still got a target on your back, pal. You can't take my place for my part. It's supposed to be me, and you know it."

"I don't have to like it."

She smiled just a little then on impulse hugged him. "I'd have serious reservation about doing this at all if I thought otherwise."

As she tried to pull away, he just brought her in tighter and she let him. It felt right to hold her again and he pressed her head against his shoulder. "Well, I'm not going to let you die Mae. I don't care what I have to do to make sure you're safe."

"You've surely thought that unless these things are picking off the potential hosts for the other one that when Lamashtu comes for me, Pazuzu could be coming for you. We've banked on him attacking me to get to her but...maybe the ultimate goal is to have both hosts possessed at the same time. And then we take each other out."

Dean frowned and shook his head. "That...that's not going to happen."

She let him continue holding her but moved her head off his shoulder to look at him. "Dean, seriously, your ass is on the line too."

"Yeah but yours is a lot nicer to look at. Trust me." He said when she scoffed.

That sigh that followed made him wish he could have kept her from saying whatever she was going to say next. "And we have another problem."

"Please tell me that it's your uncontrollable lust again."

"Oh God, I wish." Dean smirked for a moment before she finished her statement, "It's the sheriff."

He frowned and shook his head. "Oh, okay then, I'm fine with you not having any lust. I don't want to hear about any lust you have that's not for me."

Mae had to credit his optimism and there wasn't a great deal of jealousy in his statement. It was just Dean being truthful and she rewarded him with the same. "Not lust. He got thrown into this too. He's got the script on his arms."

"Damn it."

"Yeah. Do you?"

"What?"

"Show me your arms. Or I guess if you have any protective tats...you won't feel them, but they look...you know, it'll look like my back."

He let his arms slide away from her waist, unbuttoned the cuff on his plaid shirt and pushed up the sleeve. That arm was clear and clean from any nefarious markings. Unable to wait for him, she mirrored the gesture on his other arm before grabbing the hem of his t-shirt and pulling it up.

With her free hand, she let her fingers glide over the skin of his abdomen. She circled him, lifting his shirt, and touching his flesh as she moved around him until she arrived in front of him again. His eyes drifted shut of their own volition as she touched him. There was absolutely nothing sexual about it. It was abundantly intimate. He could hardly control the reaction to her.

Her hand left his skin and he longed to have it back. When he opened his eyes again, having been almost unaware that they were closed in the first place, he found her smirking, just a little bit cocky. He cleared his throat. "Let me know if you need to undress me anymore. Because I'm fine with that."

"No, I think we're good."

"I mean, I can take my own clothes off if that helps. Or, I could always undress you. Whatever works better for you."

"If I don't die, maybe."

* * *

Mae, Dean, and Sam came back together in the boys' room. There wasn't much left to do in town. Of course, if there was anything that needed to be done before they set their trap, he'd be the one to take care of it. Neither Mae nor Dean should be out and about in the town or anywhere else. Sam was trying to gather as much information as he could while things were still up in the air and they put the final details into place.

The hairs on the back of Dean's neck were picking up, like he was being watched. He suspected they were. Mae had proposed a scenario he hadn't thought of before. He couldn't rule it out either. The idea of being possessed wasn't one he particularly fancied but he would do it to spare her. The worst possibility was not only not being able to keep her safe but then hurting her while he was possessed.

Their plan specifically detailed putting her in danger and there wasn't any better option. But she needed him and his brother to everything they could for her. Sam was buried in Mae's book of shadows. Mae on the other hand thought she might be able to take the opportunity to close her eyes, maybe get some sleep, if only an hour or so. The lack of sleep hadn't been enough to throw her off entirely. At the same time, she couldn't recall a time when she had felt so exhausted.

Sam had taken his seat at the small table. Dean was pacing and casting worried glances at Mae. So, Mae decided to stretch out on one of the beds. She knew that neither boy would give her the luxury of letting her sleep alone in her own room so rather than bicker or debate about it, she simply closed her eyes and draped her arm over her eyes.

"What are you doing, Mae?" Dean asked her.

"My head hurts."

"Makes sense Red, you got wanged on the head pretty hard."

She nodded. "The EMT said it didn't look like I had a concussion."

"Good, you should still be careful."

She kept her eyes covered but smirked. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you loved me." She said teasingly.

It was true but not the way she said it, like it was a bad thing or an inconsequential thing. He did love her but didn't want it to be a teasing matter, he wanted it to be the sort of thing that meant more to her. "Shut up."

Mae didn't see the upset look on Dean's face or the shift in his demeanor. But Sam did. He felt a pang of sympathy for his brother because he was trying, only to be shut down by the woman. He was skeptical about the pair but there was something about the way they got along. It seemed so out of place to see his brother in love with a woman, especially Mae.

"I thought you wanted me to talk this over."

"Talk to Sam. I'm tired. I'm pretty sure I know what I'm supposed to do. Besides...if you need me for something, I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

What Dean wanted to do and what he could do were two separate things. He wanted to pack her up and send her as far away as possible. He wanted to go back and never ask her to join him. He and Sam could have handled this without the risk they'd incurred with Mae on board. Perhaps they still could. Guarding her didn't mean that one or both spirit demons would leave her alone. And if she left Twin Falls, it was just as likely that she'd be followed by the spirit demons and they'd spread chaos and destruction along the way. No, they all had to stay here, and they had to end this.

Dean also knew that to keep her safe, he might just have to step back and stop thinking about his feelings for her. Trying to understand or even encourage any feelings between the two of them might just get her killed. That was always the rule, right? Keep people at a distance, you didn't need friends or loves. You could have allies, you could hut with people you trusted, you could have a night or two of fun with someone but anything more than that was dangerous, to you and them.

Thinking of her as another hunter or an occasional lover, possibly as family might be okay. But anything else seemed stupid and dangerous. Besides, she likely felt the same way. There was still plenty to work with there, even if his heart tried to break into his rationalization to remind him that he wanted more.

Worst of all, was the revelation that was still in love with her. He supposed it shouldn't have come as a surprise to him. If he didn't have some kind of feeling for her, he wouldn't have wanted to spend time with her, he wouldn't have felt more like himself when she was around, and he wouldn't have been so eager to make amends. But she was too, that little voice chimed in. She'd been more reluctant that he was, but she was still here, she came to work this case with him, and when things weren't messed up because of the spell, they weren't half bad. Nice, even.

Having watched Grant be taken, with all the sense of hopelessness and horror Dean had felt, left him with a sense of urgency that had yet to manifest in to real action. In fact, Mae's exhaustion and Sam's desire to come up with a foolproof exorcism did little to calm Dean. They had to get this one right, he knew. And Mae was looking worse for the wear, he knew that too.

There was nothing for him to *do*. He didn't think they had missed anything or that there was something that would suddenly just change the game. They had the ritual form Dad's journal. While they hadn't used it a lot, it seemed like enough. He could hardly argue against being more prepared though. He didn't know what he should do to prepare though.

He felt it in Lawrence and he felt the same way now. Like then, there was no one else who could help them, help him. Although now, they had Mae. He looked over at the willowy redhead, reclined on one of the queen beds, arm draped over her eyes, legs crossed at the ankle. She didn't appear to be fully asleep, but her breath was even and rhythmic. If she were dozing at last, he didn't want to disturb her much.

With a huff, he grabbed Dad's journal off the table and sat across from his brother. At first, he leafed idly through the pages. Nothing like this had happened to their dad that Dean could recall, nor could he remember anything his dad had written about something similar.

"You okay man?"

Dean looked back at his brother, unsure of how to answer that question. "Yeah, fine."

"Listen, there isn't any reason this shouldn't work. Every indication is that these spirit demons can be and have been bound to those figurines. The spell that kid...Grant, that spell seems to have freed them and indiscriminately marked people for possible possession. My guess is when they encounter one of those people and they don't measure up, they die."

"That's what you think happened to Angela and Grant?"

"Yeah., well maybe they won't like Mae either." Dean said casting a glance over at the women.

"Might be better if they do."

"In what-"

"They won't kill her right off. If she can fight it or one of them actually wants her, we'll have more time to work and a better chance at keeping her safe. I get the feeling that she knows what she's in for."

"How could she? How could we? Maybe...I don't know. This feels like a horrible plan."

"I haven't come up with a better one, neither has Mae. So, unless you're trying to surprise us last minute..."

Dean shook his head. "No. It just feels like we're... setting her up."

Sam shrugged a bit. "We're not. If things were different, if she wasn't already being targeted, she wouldn't have suggested this plan. Listen, Dean, all we can do is use this to hopefully give us a leg up. If we know the spirit demons are after her, we can't be taken by surprise. And... well, hopefully what happened to the kids, won't happen to her, if we can get this under control."

His heart felt tighter at the idea, even though logic told him Sam was right. Sam was right. So was Mae and this was one of those things, no matter how much he didn't want to do it, he just needed to do. Suck it up, he told himself. "You do know if we get her killed, she'll probably haunted us."

"That's a safe bet."


	44. Chapter 44

* * *

If anything, the whispered tones of the brothers kept her awake, despite the longing in her body to fall into a deep, long sleep. Still, she remained curled on her side on the bed, listening to them. She supposed their concern was touching. She also knew, they'd do the same for anyone else. That didn't lessen the sentiment although she wanted to think that their dedication was slightly stronger because she wasn't some random victim of a spell.

Sam had made the best of his time and ability to absorb even the strangest of ideas, learning as much as he could from Mae's book. The rough outline of the plan-use Mae as bait to draw the female spirit demon in, keep her under control while the male spirit demon tried to attack her, and channel them both into the figurines. And hopefully spare Mae any more risk or harm than necessary.

She pretended to sleep for as long as she possibly could before she turned back to the boys and sat up. "You do know, I'm right here and can hear everything you're saying."

"Yeah well..." Dean began but trailed off.

Sam jumped in. "Okay so, I did a deeper dig and I think we can use this in our favor."

Mae leaned in with raised eyebrow and a questioning look on her face. "Do tell Sam. Any chance I don't get possessed in this?"

"Well...maybe. But I don't think so. Not if she...wants that."

"Wishful thinking..." she sighed, a far-off look in her eyes for a moment before she shook her head, "go on."

Sam continued. "Looking at the lore, both of these entities can be classified as demons, spirits, or maybe even Gods. But one of them, Lamashtu, is worse than the other one. And Pazuzu is usually called in to ward her off or chase her down."

"Yeah, that's what I gathered too. I mean, he can cause distraction on his own but prefers to go after her. Which I would assume happened to Angela. She was possessed by Lamashtu and Pazuzu tried to...take her down but took the girl with her. Do you think he was successful?"

"I don't know. Best case scenario, yeah and we just have to send him back where he came from or contain him. I think we can do that pretty easily."

"So," Dean started, "your fancy new information means that we let Mae get possessed and then let another demon try to fight her?"

"Well..." Sam didn't want to say yes out loud.

"Boys, this is what we've got. I mean we could spend days trying to find arcane sources and relics that might get us out of this but... in the meantime..."

A strained silence fell between them as they each tried to think of a solution that hurt the fewest number of people. Nothing came to mind with ease and they shifted into talk of what needed to be done, what supplies they had, and what they might need.

After about an hour, Mae stretched uncomfortably. "I think we're at a dead-end and... I'm dead tired so, I need to catch a few z's or I'm going to be useless."

"Do you think you should be sleeping?" Sam asked, unsure if she should or not.

"I absolutely do. It's safer to do this at night. We'll run fewer risks of being spotted." She stood now. "Yeah, if we pick some place secluded, we'll have enough coverage. So... maybe we should all get a few hours."

"Maybe we'll figure something out." There was less hope and conviction in this suggestion than any other time either brother had suggested it.

"I'm not gonna tell you what to do, Sam and if you think that's what will keep you fresh...but um, I fresh out of ideas and... the second I get out there, I become a bigger liability. If we don't turn that in our favor...any plan you come up with has to contend with that."

"You know, she might be right Sammy. It's been a while since any of us have gotten decent sleep. A few hours might help."

Sam glanced between the two. They looked worse than before. Was it the spell? They'd gone longer without sleep, but perhaps not with the addition of this level of stress. Right now, Sam knew he had to look out for them because they could very well be taken out of commission. That made things more difficult, if he had to deal with both of them being possessed. He worried that he might have to make the choice of who to save and he still wasn't sure which way he'd go. That wasn't exactly true. He'd pick Dean, if it came down to it but he knew that wouldn't be his brother's choice. Dean would want him to save Mae first.

"Dude, we're not dead yet." Dean said, taking in Sam's down-turned mouth, gathered eyebrows, and pained expression.

Mae offered him a sagging smile, as she placed a hand on his shoulder in passing. "Yeah, we just look it."

"Okay, yeah, I guess.

"So, I'm gonna get the stuff on the list." Sam said, grabbing the keys off the table, "you two behave."

"Yes, dad." Mae offered with a sarcastic salute.

To Dean's surprise, Mae made her way to her room. He assumed that she would, well he wasn't sure what he assumed exactly. That wasn't true; he thought she would take her nap in his bed, with him but when he thought about saying it out loud, it sounded kind of crazy. Nonetheless, he hurried to stop her before she disappeared through the doorway.

"Hey, hey, wait a second."

Mae stopped, turned, and waited patiently for Dean.

"Are...do you..."

The man was unusually nervous. If he were anyone else, she would have thought it he might be trying to ask her if she wanted to sleep with him. Not that this was an opportune time and she surely didn't look like she was up for anything. "Dude, you know you look like crap, right?"

"Noted. you're not looking so hot yourself, pretty."

Her eyebrow quirked, "Okay, weirdo. What?"

"I just think...are you sure you should be alone?"

Her lips quirked. "I'm just fine Dean. I can't sleep with you and your brother... caring near me. It's very loud."

"Fair but...I just don't want something to happen to you because you're unprotected."

"And your solution is to sleep with me?"

"I don't have to sleep with you, but I feel like...we shouldn't separate."

Maybe regular, run of the mill people were charmed by his protective nature but she assured herself that she was annoyed, not entranced. And if she were, she reasoned, it was just because she was tired, and her defenses were down. "Nothing has happened to me while we've been here. We've locked this place down like Fort Knox with protective elements. I've even put sigils on the walls with lemon and holy water."

"Huh...good trick."

"Yeah."

Dean smirked. "I just..."

"I get it man. Don't worry. I'm not less safe in my room than I am in yours. And you staying in mine..."

"I promise I won't try anything."

Dean wasn't sure but he thought he caught a blush tint her cheeks for just a second before she ducked her head down. "Every time you have ever told me that, I've ended up naked."

"This time I mean it. Really."

"You're not going to let me go until I agree to let you, are you?"

"I mean, you could go to your room and lock the door. But I'll probably pick the lock and then we'll fight. Then-"

"Fine, I don't care what you do. Here's what I'm going to do; I'm going to go to my room and get in my bed. Then I'm going to fall asleep. And you're doing to do whatever. And whatever that is, you're not going to wake me up or bother me."

"I get really tingly when you're strict Mavis."

"Will you stop?"

There was just enough sharpness in her tone to have him back down. "Yeah, let's just... get some sleep."

For the sake of being able to fall asleep at last, Mae didn't press the issue or push back against Dean when he followed her to her room or even when he joined her in the bed. The both tucked in under the covers, having slipped off shoes and socks but staying fully dressed.

On her back and under the covers, she closed her eyes. Nerves got to her now. She didn't trust herself around him, not entirely. Every time they'd been alone, they had either fought, let their physical impulses take over, or dug too deep into their issues. No matter how many times she told herself she was here for the job, she couldn't convince herself. While this job might have ended up on her radar, it wouldn't have been the first lead she would have followed. Although, given what they had uncovered, she wondered if this wasn't exactly the case, she needed to follow up on. This felt like it fit into a large pattern of possessions and spells.

Now, however, they had to deal with what was in front of them. For better or worse, they had one plan and it hinged on timing and luck more than anything else. It should work, she thought. Her own reassurances didn't serve their purpose. She knew neither of the boys fully embraced the plan or thought there much margin for success. But here they were and there was little else to do.

The door in the next room closed, effectively leaving Dean and Mae alone. This wasn't erotic or romantic. In fact, it felt mostly procedural. For everything that had gone on between them the past few days and the weeks leading up to this, now, she felt little more than unsettled and tired. She turned to her side, intending to stop thinking about everything that weighed on her.

After a few minutes, Dean rolled, snuggling up to her and laying a watchful arm over her middle. He could feel her frame tense before hesitantly relaxing.

"What are you doing?"

"Do we have to have a debate?" he said, tightening his arm around her waist. "You tell me you don't like this, or you don't...sleep a little easier like this, I'll stop."

Mae pondered and weighed comfort verses pride before she nestled into the embrace a little deeper. Being near him often confused her. Sometimes, he threw her senses into overdrive, other times he could bring an undeniable sense of comfort and security. But that wasn't new. With Dean, she had always felt that way. She didn't doubt it now.

Normally, her mind would have raced with thoughts and concern as she over analyzed the gesture. She would have fought the niceness of the moment and cited all the risks or ways things could sour. Instead, her mind stilled, and her body relaxed as she drifted to sleep.

Dean was surprised that she didn't make more of an issue and even more surprised that she moved deeper against him, but he wasn't going to argue with it. Having her in his arms, despite everything that had gone wrong and could go wrong with the rest of the day, made it almost better. He too found it nearly impossible to say awake much longer as the tension melted out of her lean body.

* * *

The air was still and impossibly chill. Mae wasn't sure where she was, but it somehow felt familiar all at the same time. Tall grass filled the expanse, with a few trees sparely darted over the landscape. It was dark but not night. She wasn't sure why she knew or thought that, but it was.

And she wasn't alone. There was a movement in the corner of her eye. She turned to face it and once again, she saw the older woman in flowing robes with long silver hair. "Who are you?"

The woman seemed to stare through her. "You can stop this."

"This?" Mae asked gesturing to the area around them, "this spell or...or what? What can I stop and how do I stop it?"

"This is your fate."

The woman was cryptic, and Mae wasn't sure what that meant. Mae recognized that she was dreaming. "Who are you? Are you a... ghost? Or my subconscious? Or...who are you?"

"You're powerful enough to break the spell if you focus."

"Focus?" That is what the woman had told her before. All of this was just like before. "What do I focus on? You need to give me more. I still don't understand."

"You can trust us."

Her heart was pounding when she woke up, although she realized this time, she saw the mystery woman, she wasn't scared. She was just confused. Her visions had started when she arrived her. Were they related to this specific job or location? Or was she just losing her mind. Nothing she was told made sense. And maybe it meant nothing.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Dean was still asleep, not just pretending to be but genuinely asleep. The knock came again. Maybe Sam had forgotten his room key. She glanced over at the alarm clock. It was nearing early evening, so they had been able to sleep for a few decent hours. Logically, she knew she should wake Dean but decided to let him sleep a little longer, particularly because this was probably nothing. Demons didn't knock.

Mae slid from Dean's embrace and made her way quietly to the door. Sheriff Brand stood at her door with a concerned but somehow brash grin on his face. If it had been Dean, she might have found it charming. On Tony, however, it left her feeling rather uneasy. She hadn't felt this way in his presence before. Something seemed wrong, but she still opened the door partially, standing in the way to block his view of the room.

Her hand fluttered towards her chest, only to realize that she didn't have her protective charms on now. She knew they wouldn't save her from the physical threat of the sheriff, but they might have helped if there was something else amiss. Moreover, they comforted her and right now she was feeling quite uncomfortable. She gave a very unconvincing smile, trying to appear welcoming.

"Tony," her voice held a shaky quality that she despised, and she bolstered her courage to keep it from trembling when she spoke next, "what are you doing here? How did you even know I was here?"

But he didn't speak, maybe he couldn't. There were a lot of explanations she could have come up with, just not in that moment. He reached for her, grabbing her by the throat and pulling her from the room. She hadn't been expecting it, but she realized she should have. His grip was tight enough that she couldn't speak more than a croak or whisper.

He was inhumanly strong. Whatever had happened between the last time she saw him and now left him possessed. She didn't need to try to test it in any sneaky way. He had her pressed her up against the wall, just outside the door to her room. Dean was just feet away and maybe if she could make enough noise, she could get his help.

Tony clamped one hand securely over her mouth as his forearm pressed firmly against her windpipe, leaving her dangling several inches off the ground. If he had wanted to, he could have snapped her neck in a heartbeat, but she knew he wouldn't. The cold, dead look in his eyes told her he wasn't the Sheriff. The man was in there, somewhere and she hoped he didn't know what was going on. Whatever emotions he might have felt for her, she knew he wouldn't want to be the instrument used to hurt someone else. That was a form of torture all its own. This spirit demon had had plans for her.

She tried not to struggle. Struggling would have made it worse, would have expended her oxygen more quickly than necessary. Despite having Dean so near and the change that Sam could come back any second now, she was alone for all intents and purposes. She brought one leg up enough for her to reach, sliding her fingers down the side but then realized she had not only removed her boots prior to the nap, she'd given her knife to Dean.

As the edges of her vision started to blur, her more primitive instincts began kicking in and she couldn't help but fight against the forceful pressure. If she could make enough noise, maybe he would come to her rescue. Her bare feet didn't seem to generate enough sound on the wall she was pressed up against and though she knew it was futile, she couldn't stop trying to pry the arm away from her throat. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

This wasn't the scenario she had seen coming exactly and in retrospect she should have. It made sense and unfortunately none of that mattered. The demon had probably jumped into Tony shortly after Grant had been killed. Maybe that had been this spirit demon's plan all along. Maybe he was being drawn out, not them. The fine details of what had happened didn't matter much right then.

It mattered less when Brand gave a sharp jolt to her face with the hand over her mouth, knocking her head against the wall. Hitting the bump on the back of her head sent a white-hot pain through her skull. It stopped the thoughts from running through her head, leaving her to focus on the pain alone. Neither the sound of her head hitting the wall, or her kicks did enough to draw Dean's attention and Mae knew no one was going to save her. She didn't know if this was how she would die or not, but she knew she wasn't safe. Tony held her in place, arm against her throat, until she slipped away into unconsciousness.


	45. Chapter 45

* * *

The room was empty. Mae's laptop on the table was open but off, her gear bag sat atop the cheap looking dresser, her boots were still beside the bed where she'd left them. not a thing out of place. Except the lanky hunter was missing and the door was left wide open. Dean had no way to gauge how long the room had been like this, how long she'd been gone. Whatever happened, he had slept through it.

He though the sound of the door opening or even her movement from the bed would have been enough to rouse him. There were few clues as to her whereabouts or what happened. Still, he checked the adjoining room, the bathrooms in both rooms, and the parking lot. Her car was still there. Everything was still there except Mae.

Dean looked back at her boots, neatly tucked beside the bed, a sock tucked in each, ready for her feet. That she hadn't at least slipped them on, even without socks told him something bad had happened. Mae wasn't careless like this. He knew when she was stressed out, she had a habit of jogging. No, he reasoned, she wouldn't have gone for a run, not without at least telling him. But she wasn't stupid enough to go anyway. He knew she was trying to hide it but as the reality of their situation became clearer, she was getting more afraid of what would happen. She wouldn't have gone out by herself.

He balled his hands at his sides to keep them from trembling. His heartbeat thrummed in his eats. Every cell in his body told him to panic but he couldn't. He had to keep it together if he stood any chance of finding her alive and well.

* * *

Picking up additional supplies was a simple task; Between the three of them they had all the standard tools they needed for the rituals. Still, based on the ritual he had managed to find, there were a few things they didn't have on hand. They didn't have a sick child, three days, or a black dog, as specified in the spell. However, it also said that water should be poured over bread. There was also a piglet's heart involved. All those things were supposed to be presented as a sacrifice while reciting a specific incantation for three days. They didn't have three days either but hopefully they could get close enough for this to work.

Along with the other spells and tools in their repertoire, he wanted to feel confident that they could stop this. The stakes were high, perhaps higher than most jobs they'd worked so far. Sam wanted to believe that it didn't matter that it was Mae's life at risk, but it did.

As he pulled up in front of the motel room, Sam's face went pale as his adrenal started pumping. He gripped the steering wheel tight for a moment before getting out. Dean was standing in the doorway of Mae's room. Everything felt off. This wasn't the specific scene in his mind but from this angle, he could see what he saw in that vision. Mae, the sheriff, her being choked out until she went limp. He felt sick.

Sam approached his brother "Dean…"

Dean hadn't even noticed Sam's return as he surveyed the room and he was surprised by his presence. "What?" He barked.

Gently, Sam placed his hand on his brother's shoulder, searching for something to say but knew it wouldn't be the right thing. "This isn't your fault."

There was no way Sam could know what had happened but then Sammy was the smart one and could put two and two together. "Don't Sam, just...I knew she was vulnerable, and I didn't look out for her. And now, I just don't know if when we find her if she'll be dead or not."

"C'mon, you don't think these demons would go through all this just to kill her."

"They're trying to kill each other. I'm pretty sure they're not going to take one skinny redhead into account during their fight."

Dean was right, unfortunately for Mae. Sam tried to believe that she would be able to control this demon if it took possession of her, and maybe she would, but dealing with the second demon was an afterthought. Another thought occurred to Sam; they assumed that Lamashtu would possess her. It could be Pazuzu, just as easily.

That scenario provided better options for Mae, as she would be on the offensive, going after whomever Lamashtu possessed. Mae might fare better on that side of the fight, provided that was the demon who won.

Before they reached that point, they needed to find Mae. And she could be long dead before the demons were satisfied. There were too many variables to even know what they were really doing or if it would work. His brother seemed to realize that first, maybe because he hadn't even believed in Mae's quick fix.

"Tell me what happened."

Dean sighed as they stepped back in the room, closing the door behind them. "I don't know. We went to bed-"

"The same bed?"

"Oh, don't start. Nothing besides sleep happened. We just slept and when I woke up, she was gone, and the door was wide open."

"What else?"

"There's nothing else Sam. I didn't hear or see anything. She fell asleep with me and then when I woke up, this. Then you showed up."

"Okay so...so you don't have any clues?"

"No Sam, I fucked up, okay? Happy?"

"Cool off, okay? I'm just trying to get a better idea of what happened and when. I can't be the only one who thinks this was the sheriff and he's probably possessed, right?"

"Maybe."

"Who else then?"

Dean sat in one of the chairs by the table. His gaze focused on her boots and his shoulders slumped. He ran his hands roughly through his hair. "I don't know. If it is the sheriff, then your weirdo vision is coming true. More than before. So what else did you see after that?"

"Like I said, it was just flashes. I know whatever happens is outside," Sam said, eyes closed as he tried to recall the details, tried to remember any important details. "It's...it's a field, I think. Tall grasses...there's a circle. That's where you and Mae are."

"Where are you and the sheriff?"

Sam shook his head. "Don't know. I didn't see anyone else."

"You know, Mae did say something earlier, about a spot on the map called mystery cemetery."

"And?"

"It's where she wanted to go next."

"What makes you think that's important?"

At best, Mae had been kidnapped. She was not the sort of woman who went down without a fight, so someone had done something to subdue her. Dean didn't like the options for what that might be. At worst, she'd been taken by a demon, who might try to kill her before she was possessed or hasten the possession. Those were harder to deal with.

From the start, this was a bad plan and Mae had certainly called it when she said you had to play even when the deck was stacked. Boy. was it ever.

"Because I don't know where else to start Sam and it's the only place that seems remotely field like. Unless you think a possessed sheriff might take our Mae to that makeshift altar the two of you visited."

"No, it didn't look anything like that. Everything was flat, with dry grass. It's the sort of place I had in mind for doing this ritual anyway."

"We're going to find her." Dean said, not as an offer of hope but as an instruction.

There wasn't any reasoning with Dean when he was aggravated like this and with good reason. He knew his brother's heart was in the right place even if his impulse to charge after her wasn't. "So... mystery cemetery is where we're headed?"

"Unless you can come up with anything quick."

* * *

Mae wasn't sure how long she had been unconscious or where she was exactly. It could have been minutes, hours or even days later than she remembered. Coming to and finding herself bound and gagged did not serve to put her in a pleasant mood.

She couldn't wait for someone to find her and save her. Sam and Dean would be looking for her as soon as they realized she was missing. But waiting only meant putting herself in more danger. She had no weapon, no tools, no shoes. Vulnerable didn't do her situation justice. She craned her neck up, in hopes that she might figure out just where she was.

It appeared to be some sort of warehouse, cold and barren walls topped with wide but bleak windows high above the ground, ensuing she couldn't count on a passerby to spot her. Everything was aging steel and cement aside from the platform she was tied to. That was wood and as she wiggled around, she found she could probably move it.

For all the good that would do her, she thought. It would take time and energy to get it anywhere useful and that was only if she were completely left to her own devices. Kidnappers rarely let their victims roam free. Her other option was to loosen the ties around her wrists and ankles. Even if she had all the time in the world, it would have been a difficult move. Tugging at the ropes that bound her to the altar, she felt another wave of despair when she was met with bitter resistance as before.

That wasn't going to get her free, at least not soon enough. This would be an embarrassing way to go, she thought. It was the dumbest thing to have going through her mind right then, but she couldn't stop wondering what the boys would say or what her uncle for that matter about how easily she had been captured.

Her best option in that moment might have been getting possessed. At least that would get her free. However, there wasn't even time for that before the sound of heavy foot falls filled the room and eventually stopped close to her. She closed her eyes once again, in hopes that she could feign sleep and perhaps prolong the eventuality of whatever the demon currently riding the Sheriff was planning.

So as the tall man stood over her, she just closed her eyes. She could feel his presence. Her heart was beating far too hard and she knew she would only be able to pretend to be asleep for so long. There was no reasoning with the demon, and it seemed unlikely she would be able to reach the man. With any luck, she wouldn't die here. Although she knew it was wishful thinking.

* * *

Dean wanted to yell but he didn't have a good reason. Actually, he decided, he did but it wouldn't help to yell _at_ Sam right then or anyone else. He could hear Mae chiding him about it. He had to stop thinking about losing her and focus on finding her now.

The sheriff could have taken her almost anywhere and surely knew a multitude of places to stash someone. Demon or not, he still had access to all the things the sheriff did. A demon could have taken her farther still. With a sigh, he ran his hand through his short hair. The spot Mae talked about seemed like the best idea but there was something missing.

There had to be something, Mae had to have figured something out that they didn't, right? She wouldn't have proposed her crazy ass plan if she didn't have a few more details. She was a little too type A to not have some sort of plan. This was a woman who had an abundance of supplies, even camping gear. She had to have planned something. He moved to recheck her room.

Dean's panic and worry had gone past the pointless, nervous energy stage and left him in an almost transcendent, Zen like state of focus. Back in her room, he grabbed her bag, pouring through the contents and ignoring most of it as he looked for her notebook. Surely there would be some note, some indication of where she might be. However, he found after dumping all of her clothing on the bed, that wasn't where she kept the damn thing.

Her room was clean and organized. She populated one wall with notes, pictures and a few other clues to the case, save the spell that she had posted and since burned. The wall only contained the details of the case he was already familiar with and not particularly helpful in the moment. She didn't keep her journal on her computer, preferring the tactile sensation of paper and pen. So, he skipped looking at her laptop. He wanted her little book. That book had to be the key. Since the journal wasn't out in the open, he knew she had to have stashed it. Hopefully, she hadn't kept it on her.

Dean didn't think that it was too much to ask for if she could have left it behind. He went through the drawers of the dresser and find nothing before moving to the nightstand. There it was, the worn notebook atop Gideon's bible.

He smirked, just a little, as he leafed through her journal. With time, he thought he might be able to read her short hand. Her scribbled notes didn't leave him the momentary bout of contentment he currently felt; going by the dates, Mae had kept an exact record of what had happened. He flipped through some of the pages before a neatly folded piece of paper fluttered to the floor. He bent to pick it up and unfold it, feeling a little more relief when he realized what it really was.

She had left them a map. Well, she might not have left it for them but there was a detailed notation of where they had been, what they had need and what the redhead theorized, fortunately written in plain English. A light of admiration touched in his eyes and a little relief. "Damn, Red you are straight up crazy but you're good. You're good."

With more than a little satisfaction, he strode back into the room he shared with Sam and laid the neatly folded map on the table.

"What's that?" Sam asked.

"It's a map and our little OCD redhead has put down an insane amount of information on it."

Sam leaned over the table and nodded approvingly. "You know, she really is a great hunter."

"No doubt about it." He didn't voice the next thought that said 'let's get her back' because they both knew what was on the line.

What Sam didn't know was how uncontrollable the spell made him feel, how impossible it was to do what he knew he should do. He could only imagine what would happen if Brand were possessed or what would happen to Mae when she got possessed. And as much as he wanted to think she was okay and that they would find her, he knew they were up against the clock.

They took a moment, looking over the map, and her denotation of critical locations and important markers. She had of course marked off Angela's house, the Sheriff's office, the strange clearing on the outskirts of town, the falls, even the motel. Sam let his fingers run over the map between the places she had circled as he thought.

"What about… okay, we know that Angela's house is out" He said, tapping on the note in red 'X' through the house, "but what about that altar those kids set up?"

It was more than possible. The problem was there were too many possibilities. They could narrow down where she wasn't but that left more than one, more than two viable locations so even if they split up, they might still miss her. Dean sighed. "Mae was pretty sure that was just a staged thing."

"Right but even if it was, it worked well enough. Maybe there's something there the demons need or were attracted to. If it was me, I'd take her there."

He contemplated Sam's suggestion and ran this thumb over his chin before he nodded. "That's as good as anything."

"Yeah, but what about this cemetery she's marked?"

"We know less about that and it's further from here than the altar. If we pick wrong, we'll find it out quick."

* * *

Despite the inclination to follow the assumption that Mae was at the mystery cemetery spot on the map because of Sam's vision, they headed to the mock satanic altar the kids had set up for their ill-fated tryst. Dean drove as fast as he could, which wasn't particularly unusual but the determination in his eyes and the harsh setting of his jaw was. Sam felt obliged to say something. "She'll be alright."

"Or she'll be dead. Either way, we'll find her."

God, Dean hoped his brother was right. He wanted to believe his brother was right but for some reason, he had had conflicting images in his head; one of finding her bound to the altar with her throat slit and another of her alive and well but with inky black eyes and a hollow smile on her face. But she didn't survive either scenario. His foot hit the gas pedal with a little more force.

Then, something happened. He couldn't explain it. It was more of a feeling than anything else. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Maybe it was something about Mae or about the lingering effects of the spell, but he _felt_ something, he felt her. He sensed her and knew where she was. Or at least he knew where she wasn't. Whatever the reason he tromped on the breaks and threw the car into reverse.

"Uh, Dean, what are you doing?" Sam said hesitantly.

"She's this way."

Even as Dean said it, he didn't know where he was going. They'd spent several days in the town but only had a cursory knowledge of the town. He wasn't even sure what he was looking for, only that he'd get another sense of indication that he was in the right or wrong direction. So, he was just driving at this point.

"Um, okay? Based on what? You were the one who said-"

He waved off his brother's confused protest. "I know, I know. Don't ask me how I know, I just know."

He relied on that strange feeling to find her or to give him a clue as to why he had to drive this way. It was completely crazy, he knew it was crazy and he was praying that this impulse wouldn't end up getting her killed. Compared to the speed he had previously reached, the car crept slowly down the road as both brothers searched for something, not knowing what it was. Dean felt more and more unsure of this move. It was wasting time. He was wasting time that Mae needed. Then, after several moments, Dean saw something out of the corner of his eye. But it couldn't have been real.

It wasn't just a momentary flicker or an illusion. When he turned his head, his eyes locked on a strange figure. It had to be the one Mae mentioned seeing. Maybe she wasn't as crazy as he thought at first or she assumed. Maybe he was just as crazy. That woman was real. At least it seemed real until the vision flickered away. Still he turned in that direction, driving until something in his mind told him to stop.

Sam raised an eyebrow as his brother slammed on the breaks again. They had driven to what appeared to be the industrial area of town, lots of garages and over-sized building. All of them were dark, expect for warehouse that his brother had stopped in front of. At first, he questioned what was driving the man to act so oddly illogical. Then, he saw it. Damned if Dean wasn't right. There was the Sheriff's truck. As quickly as they could, they jumped out of the car and went to the trunk to secure their arsenal. With no ceremony the brothers burst in the door.


	46. Chapter 46

* * *

To Mae's surprise, nothing happened. The seconds that passed drug out in painful slowness. She wasn't even sure that her heartbeat, but she could hear with sharp clarity her shallow and skittish breath. She assumed the next thing she'd experience was the sharp, hot slice of a blade against her flesh. But that wasn't what came next.

A loud clatter, the forcible slamming open of doors followed by a bang that echoed around the walls. The knife she hadn't realized he was holding clattered to the ground. What had happened wasn't entirely clear from her vantage point, but she felt droplets of wetness hit her face as Sheriff Brand backed away from her in pain. Her only real question was who would have shot him. Was it the boys or was it the authorities or someone else? Either way, the shooting made the situation worse. No matter how much in answered her prayer, she felt by no means safe.

Still tied to the makeshift altar, she craned her neck to see what was coming her way next. She saw Dean run past her, casting a quick assessing glance at her. Since she wasn't visibly hurt, he kept going and she heard the solid impact of body on body she assumed was Dean tackling Tony. He called his brother's name who had made it past her at some point during the fracas.

No matter how she twisted, she couldn't see what was going on. But she did hear Sam begin to chant a rather simple exorcism. She protested but the gag in her mouth didn't allow for any more than the muffled complaint. Before they even let her up, the black smoke billowed from the injured sheriff's mouth. The swirl of demonic presence swirled in the air a while before, with great force, it busted through the windows, leaving them all in a silent minute of reverie.

Then, Dean appeared above her, cocky grin on his handsome face. He was a little mussed but no worse for the ware. Leaning over her, he winked at her. "You have awful taste in men, Mae." He had to say it before he took the gag out of her mouth, knowing he would pay for the comment later.

"Haha. Untie me."

The man managed to smirk and frown all at the same time, all too comfortable with teasing her. "That's not very nice. Where's the gratitude?"

"Let me up, Dean…"

"I don't know, I like you better this way. Pretty hot Mavis."

"Let me up so I can kick your ass."

"That doesn't sound like as much fun as you bein' tied up and helpless."

"Helpless? I'll show you helpless."

That made him grin. "That's my girl."

He finally pulled out his pocket knife and quickly sliced through the ropes that held her in place. Sitting now, she rubbed at her reddened wrists, trying to regain circulation in her hands and ease the minor pain caused by the friction of the ropes. He moved to cut the bindings at her feet. If she had decided to smack him, he would have accepted it since she had been such a good sport.

He helped her up to her feet and he found himself at the end of her most unpleasant grimace. "Did you have to shoot him?"

Of all the things he expected her to say, that wasn't one of them. "He was about to slice you open." He replied incredulously.

Frowning, Mae kept her gaze on Sam on and Tony as Sam checked over the sheriff. From her vantage point, it seemed that Dean had only winged the other man. Of course, the exorcism had left him out of sorts and when he came to, he'd be more confused. "I doubt that. I'm not possessed yet. There's no point in killing me just for the sake of killing me."

"Unless that demon doesn't want the other one to get its hands on a perfectly primed host."

Mae frowned, considering the possibility she hadn't even considered. "That supposes that he somehow knew…" Of course, the demons knew about the spell, maybe even about how the planned to use it. She just didn't like to think of it that way.

"Yeah he just came after you because the dude is hot for you. That makes way more sense."

"Well…" It might have been ego, but she felt slighted by his assessment, "you didn't have to shoot him."

"Just say thank you or I'll tie you back up." He sighed, "You suck at being a damsel in distress."

Mae rolled her eyes. "You're an idiot. The point being, you shot a sheriff-I swear to God, if you say anything about a deputy, I'll kick you hard in a soft spot."

"It stopped the demon, didn't it?" Mae frowned again before turning away from Dean. "Oh, come on Mavis! Get real here, I was saving your life. You can't be mad at me just because I didn't do it some pre-approved way."

"I'm not but a gunshot wound does not exorcise a demon unless you killed the guy. And I'm trying to figure out what the hell is really going on here. It's too… I don't know. Don't you think it's odd, the way this job has been unfolding, the way our last case went? It feels like there's something bigger at play."

"Yeah, that's pretty clear but we've got to deal with what's in front of us before we tackle your demon conspiracy."

She shook her head. "I'm not saying that it's a conspiracy. I don't know, maybe I am. It just…. It's all too convenient that we start talking again and we get pulled into something like this?"

"I really don't know Mae and I don't think now is the time to unpack it."

"I know, I know. I just…I'm getting pissed off, that's all."

* * *

Dean saw red when he first burst into the warehouse and took note of the situation and just acted. The only thought in his mind was needing to save Mae. He knew he would have killed for her. He was glad he didn't but if things had gone differently, there was no question in his mind. Unfortunately, his eagerness to save the slim hunter, he hadn't thought about the wisdom of exorcising the demon, as Mae was keen on pointing out, let alone controlling the demon.

"Now we're back to not knowing where two demons are, rather than one."

While he understood her annoyance, Dean found it exasperating. He had only tried to save her and perhaps make up for failing to take care of her earlier. "I'm aware of that Mavis. Shoot me for thinking that you getting killed was something I should try and prevent."

"And why the hell did you exorcise him?" She asked turning on Sam.

His eyes went wide, innocent and he shrugged, raising his hands a little in a gesture of peace, taking them off the sheriff's wounded arm he was patching up. "He was possessed! Since when is that something we want to preserve?"

Mae would have paced back and forth to help burn off the nervous energy, but she was still barefoot, and the warehouse was sketchy enough that she had no intention of adding tetanus to her list of issues to deal with from this case. Instead, she sat on the edge of the altar. "Under normal circumstances, no but right now… I don't know why that demon picked Tony—"

"Tony? Since when are you two so chummy?" Dean questioned, unable to keep his concern to himself this time.

Her eyes hardened up, just a moment and the anger, the irritation was more than prevalent in her stare. Really? If you make _that_ an issue, I will shoot you."

Her words were earnest and kept Dean from saying anything more on the issue. He didn't understand why she was so committed to defending the idea of not shooting her attacker. He saved her whereas the sheriff had tried to kill her. Probably. Okay, Dean thought, he might not have been entirely certain of that assertion, particularly because the man had been possessed at the time.

"Well, they're attracted to each other. If we can catch one demon, the other will come." Sam said, having finished tending to Brand's wound and, trying to make the best of this bad situation. He stood, joining Dean and Mae.

"Yeah, I know," Mae said with an exaggerated exasperation, "And we just had one in our grasp. We had possibly our first worthwhile break in this job. Now, you've put Dean back in its sights."

That had yet to occurred to either brother, both focused on keeping Mae from getting possessed. Because, although unspoken, both men had decided they would do whatever they could to keep the demons from taking her. Even if her plan at times made sense, neither man was comfortable with using her as bait. Still, their opportunities to keep her safe seemed to be dwindling as what their time to end the spell and capture the demons.

Her mouth puckered then pulled taunt before she yanked her hands through her thoroughly mussed hair. They were trying to help, not only her but everyone. She reminded herself that neither of them truly deserved her annoyance or short temper. They weren't trying to make it harder on purpose and given the same choices, if she were in Dean's position, she didn't know that she would have done anything differently.

"Did anyone happen to bring my boots, or should I try my luck with whatever lurks on an abandoned warehouse floor?"

"Yeah," Sam said, "Dean grabbed them before we left. I'll get them."

"Thanks Sam."

Mae gave a heavy sigh before turning from the Sam and he jogged out of the building and focused her attention back on the unconscious Sheriff Brand. The frown heavily creased her angular face. This was bad. Not just losing the demon but the whole shooting a law enforcement officer part. They would need a miracle to get out of this one.

"You okay, Red?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. What do you want me to say?" She asked as Dean's green eyes bore into hers.

"I just...I let you down."

"Oh, get over that. You didn't do this. And you found me. How the hell did you find me?"

"Honestly, I don't know. This isn't where I was headed but I got the weirdest feeling and it brought me here."

"Awesome. So, you and Sam both have the shining _._ Great."

Dean shook his head. "I don't think it was anything like Sam gets. I just...I don't know babe. I just knew you were in trouble and you were here."

Sam returned with her boots and she slipped them on quickly. "C'mon, boys, help me get him up."

"Wait, what?" Dean asked, perhaps a little more aggressively than necessary.

It was difficult to keep from rolling her eyes and she realized she probably didn't exactly stop herself. "We've gotta bring him with us."

"You've got to be kidding me." Dean muttered, shaking his head. They didn't have a lot of time and the wound he had given the sheriff wasn't that bad. He'd make it. Plus, Mae seemed to forget that they were all rather guilty of this crime.

"Your plan is just to leave him here?"

It wasn't, not exactly, he thought as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Well… I wouldn't call it a plan. We wouldn't just leave him, we'd call for help."

Mae shook her head. "Right… well, you did shoot him, he's bleeding _and_ he's probably going to get offed by a pissed off demon if what we've seen so far is any indication. So, we're a bit obliged to take care of him, don't you think?"

It was too self-defeating to admit that even if she wasn't right, she had a good point. No amount of jealousy or protectiveness could change their current predicament. "You wanna help me load him in the trunk?" Dean said, only half in jest.

"We are not putting him in the trunk."

"Yeah but-"

She cut him off, not with words but with a strangely stern and offended look, arms firmly locked over her chest.

"C'mon, I'm just kidding."

"You two need to cool it. We'll take him with us and hopefully that helps us somehow." Sam said.

If they had left it up to Dean, even under the best of circumstances he would have been more comfortable putting the sheriff, any sheriff, in the trunk. "Yeah right."

Dean sighed and grumbled something under his breath. For some reason he felt incredibly whipped. How was it even possible for her to do that to him? "Fine, Ms. Can't Take a Joke."

Relaxing at his less than willing agreement, Dean noted how small she suddenly looked. Tall as ever, for some reason she appeared so much thinner now under the bulky draping of her clothes. He frowned as she sat back down on the altar, pinching the bridge of her nose. With no reason to argue with him, she didn't have the strength to keep up her illusion any longer.

"Why don't I… put Sheriff Brand in the car." Sam added, feeling the strong undercurrent of emotion flowing so much more easily now. There was work that needed to be done and none of it involved what was going on between Mae and Dean.

"You got him by yourself," Dean asked, and Sam nodded in response.

Alone now, Dean frowned as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"You keep asking like I'm going to surprise you with the answer."

"I wish you would."

There was so much written in her blue gray eyes as she looked up at him. For a moment, she looked like a lost little girl but that was soon replaced by the annoyed woman he was used to seeing. She didn't even answer him this time, it was pointless. They both knew she wasn't okay. "Let's just get going Dean, okay?"

The pair did not have the heart to heart Sam had expected as they caught up to him quickly and helped him load Brand in the back of the Impala. "So, what now?" Sam asked as they all got back in the trusty vehicle.

Ultimately, they decided on the mystery cemetery. Dean and Mae came to that conclusion quickly.

"Are you sure?" Sam asked.

"No. But...I just think...it gives us privacy and I think it might be the weird sort of place this will work. Besides, we need to put distance between us and innocent people right now, or these demons will rip through the whole town just trying to get at each other." Sam hadn't asked Mae because he doubted their assessment but because he wanted to know her thinking.

The drive to the spot on the map only called 'Mystery Cemetery" was relatively quiet. Dean drove as Sam sat in the back with Brand, leaving Mae in the passenger seat. It wasn't as uncomfortable as it could have been. However, Mae caught Dean casting sidelong glances at her, even though the sun had set, and the only real illumination was from the dashboard instruments. But Dean didn't say anything, and she was grateful for that small kindness.

She checked with the boys to make sure they had all the supplies they needed and was pleasantly surprised that even in their haste to find her, they made sure to keep their ultimate goal in mind. Dean seemed more unnerved than usual. It could have been because he was worried about exciting the plan or having been worried about her safety, she thought. Figuring him out was more difficult than normal.

In short order, they arrived at the sight marked on her map. The lights on the car illuminated the area. It was underwhelming, to say the least. If it had ever been a cemetery, the proof of that was long gone. They could have been barking up the wrong tree, but it was too late to turn back. The trio got out of the car again. With a few curt nods between them, they fell into their roles. So, Mae and Dean lifted Brand, Dean taking him under the arms and Mae grabbing his feet. Sam gathered their supplies.

Carefully, the eased him out of the car and started to carry him until they reached the fence. There wasn't much else out there. In fact, it was just a fence surrounding that strange area. While it would have been safer to leave the man in the car, they agreed that he could potentially be used as bait as well. It wasn't an idea situation, but they needed both Sam and Dean to be in full control of their facilities to keep the other demon from overpowering Mae. The woman hadn't said much to him during the drive and Dean felt the pressing need to say something to her.

"Hey, I'm sorry."

Mae lifted a brow in question. "Dude, I'm not the one who deserves an apology," she said, glancing down at the Tony, "You stopped whatever that demon was going to do to me."

"Wait, I thought you were mad about that."

"I'm frustrated. There's a difference," She added when he opened his mouth to protest, "All the same, this is not something we needed to have on our plates. I'm not exactly sure how we get out of this without earning ourselves some warrants… or faking our own deaths."

"If it helps, I'm already dead." He said with a smirk.

"That's hardly a comforting thought. Besides Sam and I are still well and alive and accomplices."

"Like you don't have a rap sheet."

She snorted. "No way. I'm too smooth for that."

"There's gotta be somethin'." He half muttered, examining her face as they set their possible hostage down.

"No sir. I only get into trouble when I'm around you."

"Oh, but it's so fun."


	47. Chapter 47

* * *

Pain radiated through his body and he suspected it had little to do with the gunshot. Although that wasn't providing much comfort. Anthony Brand remembered being shot but he didn't remember much else. That wasn't exactly true. He remembered everything that happened. He remembered doing all the bizarre things he did and had no control over. He remembered the way Mae's hands gripped at his arm, uselessly trying to pull them away from her mouth and neck.

There was nothing he could do to save her from...himself. Did she know? How could she? All she had seen was him and him hurting her. It was, in some way, better when she was unconscious because at least she didn't know that he was responsible to taking her to that desolate place, tying her up and for God knew what reasons. He certainly didn't. He only knew he couldn't stop himself and he could save her.

Now, she was with him again but this time she wasn't tied up. He was. Tony watched her face, wondering if he didn't see a hint of regret or shame as she took the time to check him over, even as she tightened his restraints.

"Listen, I'm sorry. I-something happened, I don't know what but I couldn't-I'm sorry that I hurt you."

"Don't worry about it. We don't have the time to get into it, but I know you weren't you."

She wouldn't look him in the eye as her enticingly long fingers brushed against his skin. He wanted to catch her gaze, currently focused on anything but him. The activity behind him was unclear but he knew, in part, she was shielding it from his view.

"You're not really a reporter, are you?"

Her eyes were such a captivating shade of blue-gray and the Sheriff noted, even with the dim back-lighting casting exaggerated shadows around the area. Those slate colored eyes were too big but impossible to not get lost in. And that was the absolute wrong track of thought to be on now. She shook her head and tried to give him a tight-lipped smile, but it faltered. "Not in the traditional sense. Or really any sense. So, no."

"So, you're just interfering with an official investigation then?"

Again, she shook her head. "I'm here to help you. I know you don't believe me but I am."

"And that's why…" He lifted his arm causing the handcuff to jangle against the fence post as he lifted his eyebrow in question.

This time her smile was a bit sincerer but not particularly overt or joyous. "That would be why. I'm trying to help but I'm not stupid."

He nodded to the men over her shoulder who had been casting a circle and unloading their supplies without any ceremony. "And they're not really FBI?"

"I suppose that depends on what you do after this is all over."

The man surprised her with a slight growl, maybe it was just an exasperated sigh, but it seemed like a growl to her. "Impersonating-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah it's a crime. We're aware. Believe me, we're the sort of people who are well acquainted with the legality of what we do."

"And you shot me."

"Technically, they did but only because you took me hostage. I'm certain there's video somewhere of an esteemed lawman choking and then abducting a woman. I mean, if we're going to get legal here. And were I to press charges, I'm sure it wouldn't look good for any reelection bid. But that's beside the point."

"I... that wasn't me. I mean it was me but..."

She spoke quickly, authoritatively. "Here's the deal Tony. You have no idea what's beset your little town. It's not your fault that it happened or that you can't stop it. But it's here. Maybe you luck out and... these things you're dealing with do their business and leave your town. Then it's not your problem. That doesn't mean that anything has stopped or changed, it's just someone else's problem."

"What are you talking about?"

"Demons. Or something close. It's hard to know based on translations of translations of ancient text. All the same. You've got these things in your town causing destruction, deaths, possessing people...which is why you have no idea why you did what you did earlier. You were possessed, we exorcised you. They shot you because they were a little worried you were going to kill me."

Something was off, he thought, with her from the beginning. He thought she was just weird, not crazy. He wasn't usually so off in his assessment of people, but Mae wasn't what he thought at all. It made him wonder how much of this was voluntary. "I guess you're going to ask me to trust you now?"

They were interrupted by a crash of thunder from the dark sky that still managed to build ominously. It was the only real sign of her faltering courage when she kept her eyes locked on the swirling clouds and swallowed. She watched the sky longer than he did before she shifted to answer him. "No. No, I don't usually ask people that after I've cuffed them to a fence. Unless they asked me to. I promise you we're going to stop all of this and then we'll get out of your hair and you'll never have to see us again. And until that point, it really doesn't matter if you trust me or not because this is happening."

"You're crazy, you know that, right?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure I am. But I'm not wrong."

"So... you can exorcise a demon then? And this stops?"

She paused, "I'll be honest, I don't know what this is going to look like. I don't know what's about to happen. I do know we have to really ancient spirit demons, which I don't know if that distinction matters much… but they're wicked powerful and possibly super hostile. They're looking for hosts right now which makes them extra dangerous."

"Remember that pattern you thought was a rash? It's not, it's a spell." She moved away from him for a moment to push up the sleeve of her shirt. "You had it, now I have it."

"You're saying this is the same thing that we found on the girl?" Mae nodded. "And you're saying I was possessed because of this… spell."

"More or less."

"Then why aren't I dead?"

She shrugged. "You probably should be. But unlike the Angela girl and the boy, we got to you soon enough, I guess. And we shot you. It probably saved your life."

"This is all a little hard to believe, you know, that right?"

"Boy do I ever. I don't expect you to believe it."

"I don't really have any other choice but to stay out of your way now do I?" With his one free hand, he searched his belt for his holster, only to find it gone. The action did not go unnoticed.

"Yeah, about that…" She cuffed his other arm on the other side of the fence, "It's not that I don't trust you… I just—"

"Don't trust me."

"You seem like the kind of honest, law abiding guy which is great for everyone in your jurisdiction, but dicey for us. You have a job to do and for all you know, we're responsible for all this. If I were in your place, I wouldn't take the chance. But we have a job to do too and no offense but the whole law dog thing isn't what we need."

"You know even if you are right, you've still all committed crimes."

"Well I really haven't," she joked, "unless it's a crime to lie on a date now. But we're willing to deal with that after we save this town."

"If you're doing this against your will-"

"It probably doesn't help my case but I'm not. I'm just hoping that when this is all done… you'll see we haven't been lying."

* * *

This was probably one of the worst situations they'd found themselves in recently. Mae hoped her candor, hoped that him being witness to the events that were about to happen and what had already happened when he was possessed before would help ensure that the sheriff would be lenient when considering their crimes. But for the time being, it didn't matter.

"You can't do this." Tony called out.

She should have ignored him, but she was intent on showing him that while she might have been doing something totally crazy, she wasn't in fact insane. "Yeah," she said with a sad smile as she stood, "we can. We will. Whatever happens… happens."

"You shot and abducted a sheriff."

"But only because he abducted me."

"I already told you-"

Her next reply was almost an audible version of a pat on the head. "I've seen this before. You're not exactly on the top of your game right now. You're feeling sick, confused, tons of pain and you only have hazy memories of things you did but you know that you couldn't do anything to stop yourself.

He faltered because she was dead on. "How the hell do you know that?"

"This is what we do. I would love to sit down with you and rock the whole come to the light speech but we're running short on time if you haven't noticed." She pointed back at the gathering clouds overhead.

Those strange swirling clouds didn't look like anything he'd seen before and he was almost inclined to believe her. Aside from how crazy it sounded, given everything that had happened over the course of the past few days, it didn't seem all that out of the question. At least if you allowed for anything to be possible. She certainly believed it. If it wasn't true, the three people were unquestionably believers. They might have been legitimately insane, rather than just criminal.

"We'll deal with this. If after that, you wanna arrest us, well I won't put up a fight. That's the best I can do for you. If we're lucky, we'll all walk away from this."

"I don't understand what-"

"Yeah, I know, and I wish you could stay that way. Talk time is over, don't make me knock you out."

It was impossible to not take her serious. Whether it was the no nonsense look on her face or the fact that it was her, not one of her far sketchier accomplices, cuffing him to a fence. Plus, she had his weapon tucked in the waist of her jeans and whether it was because she was a few bubbles off level or because she genuinely believed what she was saying, she was dangerous.

Dean watched out of the corner of his eye, securing and conversing with the sheriff. Dean couldn't say he would have done the same. He would have punched the guy's lights out as much for his own satisfaction as to ensure he would get to their work. But Mae occasionally had a softness to her, a concern for making people comfortable if she should. She quite nearly chatted with the man while he and his brother did the heavy lifting, so to speak. Maybe she figured honesty was their best bet, honesty and kindness.

"I still don't think you should do this." He said to her as she joined him making another trip to the car.

He could see her eyes roll in characteristic exasperation even though he didn't turn his head to look at her in that moment. "Okay well at this rate the only other thing I'll be fit for is being the tattooed lady in a sideshow."

This time he frowned as he looked over at her, taking note that between the time they had left the warehouse and now, the foreign script had made its way up her slender neck, barely hidden by her flow of coppery hair. He could assume that it had progressed over much of her body in similar fashion. He wished that wasn't the case but knew it meant nothing good. "Why won't you listen to common sense on this one Mavis?"

"Oh, a lot of reasons." she quipped, "But mostly because I don't have a ton of options. Dean, just promise me you'll hold up your end."

"Yeah," he replied without pause, "you don't even have to ask."

It was something she had to know but something he wasn't sure she could hope for anymore. It left her with a slight tightness in her throat. "Right well… let's get started then."

She had never done anything exactly like this much less in front of an audience. The only other time she had attempted an exorcism on this scale, without knowing exactly what she would encounter, it ended poorly to say the least. They had set up the most commonly used tools and herbs for both summoning a demon and exorcising one on an upturned box. Mae had set alight a small charcoal disk and had the first dish of herbs prepared, hoping it would encourage the process. Likely, it wasn't necessary, but she wanted to make certain they accomplished something, and she planned on pulling out the big guns on this one.

Sam was casting a circle, hoping that he had disguised it enough to trick the demon, as Mae's book suggested, but not enough to keep the woman safe should she actually get possessed. He needed to get everything right and he would have appreciated some help from Dean, but he seemed insistent on standing guard over Mavis.

"It shouldn't take this long."

Blowing a long, steady breath over the charcoal, Mae shot Dean a nasty look as he paced back and forth with his arms crossed over his chest. "Because you've summoned so many Mesopotamian spirit demons?" She asked, not bothering to mask the snark.

At first, he gave a sort of quarter smile, just a minute tug at the corner of his mouth. It didn't last though. "I'm just saying, shouldn't it or they be here by now? I mean, look at… look at the sky. "

Even against the darkness of the night sky, the clouds did indeed swirl more ominously, a great portend to the event they were undoubtedly ushering towards them faster than anyone would like. Only it wasn't happening, and it made Dean nervous. Because everything about his impatience and his protectiveness was so like Dean, she smiled a little. "I thought you didn't want this to happen in the first place. Now it can't happen fast enough?"

Dean frowned and resumed his pacing. It all calmed her somehow, made things fall into place and bring her back to that center that made it easier for her to do her job. She didn't feel plucky because he was starting to fray but because she wasn't the only one. Maybe, she thought, she could show her insecurity for a split second.

"It's not like I _know_ what I'm doing here Dean. This is all a guess cobbled together from a hastily translated grimoire, the story of a horny teenager, and whatever we've hopefully learned over the years. Like I've said a million times, if you have a better idea, I would like to hear it."

As much as he wanted to have an alternative, he knew he didn't and couldn't come up with one in enough time to satisfy anything or anyone. Not just for her sake but the sake of everyone in the town, everything that had gone wrong so far. Not that anything in their lives had led either of them to believe in luck at this point.

She hadn't waited for or expected an answer as she took a pinch of the first bowl of herbs and threw them on the red-hot of the charcoal disk, sending up a spiraling plume of heavily scented smoke. It filled the surrounding air with an odd combination of coriander and sandalwood mixed with the less attractive acrid scent of something else. "What the hell is that Mae? It smells like… like you're burning mice."

"Hemlock. How do you know what burning mice smell like?"

"Where do you get hemlock?"

"Is that really what you want to know?"

Dean sighed, scrubbing his face. "You're a freaky chick, you know that?"

"What, I'm the only girl trying to get possessed on a Friday night?"

Sometimes, there was no point in arguing with her. Scratch that, there was never any point in arguing with her. The woman was stubborn, too stubborn and the only way he'd ever had a chance of convincing her of anything was if he made just the right plea. So far, he'd has zero luck in that.

"Sam," she called out, "you should be fine. Probably. You have to keep an eye on Tony, okay? If the demons go for him instead, you'll need to stay on top of it and exorcise him quick."

"Do you think—"

Losing patience, she held up a hand to cut the younger Winchester off. "Dude, just no more questions… from either of you. Do your job, I'll do mine and with any luck all of this will be over soon enough."

She stood her ground, even as she crouched next to their makeshift altar. And she managed to stare down both men until they relented. She didn't particularly care why they gave into demands only that they did. They had to if her plan was going to work at all. Her plan… it seemed like a horrible one right now and not just because of the possession part.

"I need a hand." She beckoned to Dean.

Her lips pressed firmly together for a moment as she tried to assess if this was a necessity. But every time she asked herself, she knew it would be worse for Dean if she didn't. So, when he came to her aid without question, she felt bad that she had to do this. Best for it to be done quickly, without explanation.

"Wait, just, hold on a second."

He crouched next to her, hopeful that she had changed her mind. "What's wrong Mae?"

She dithered for just a second. "I just… what about a kiss, for luck?"

Dean smirked and laughed just a bit. He knew she had to be joking but as the look on her face didn't change, his swaggering grin faltered. "Wha-Are you sure?"

"Yeah." she said a little tentatively.

It had to be some sort of trick or trap or… well it didn't make any sense why she would be doing this now, of all times. But he wasn't about to pass up the chance. That would be crazy. Even if it was stupid. "Really, because not to press my luck here or anything but-" The last part of his statement was lost as her mouth pressed forcefully against his.

He only hesitated a few moments and kissed her back, mostly because her eyes had closed when she kissed him. When he relented to her actions, she relaxed slightly and let him touch her cheek.

Her hand cupped the back of his head, feathering through his hair. It was refreshing and he dearly wishes they could have reached this detente prior to all this happening. Of course, this was the precisely wrong time for it. He pulled her against his body tighter and in a split second, it all changed.

He felt her hand phantom along his calf but thought little of it until the biting pain spread up his leg. Without looking down he knew she had stuck him in the leg, the last part of Sam's dream finally coming true.

"Son of a bitch." He cursed under his breath as they pulled apart before fixing her with a fiery look. "What the hell Mavis?"

"Sorry Dean, sorry but we couldn't have you looking tasty to a body hopping demon. I'm sorry about this too." She said as she pushed him away with all the force she could muster.

"Damn it Mae!" The pain radiated up his leg. She hadn't hit anything major, but she damn well made certain she left him in a great deal of pain, effectively taking him out of action for the time being. "This is so stupid. Let us help you!"

"No! I'm not letting anyone else get hurt."

"You stabbed me like a crazy bitch!" He yelled back, taking the silver knife she had given him for safe keeping, that she had managed to steal back from him, out of his calf.

Whatever she had done or had started seemed to kick into high gear as the winds kicked up. Her hair lashed violently against and about her face. "I'll let that go since I stabbed you, but you have to trust me." She yelled back.

"You have to trust us too!"

"I'm sorry. Just remember to close the circle and start reading the-"

The both knew what she was going to say but the swirls of clouds descended upon them knocking all of them down, sliding across the grass and weeds.


	48. Chapter 48

* * *

The force of the oncoming cloud threw the three hunters physically, scattering them away and apart from each other and their circle. The only thing protecting Tony Brand was his secure holding against the fence. Maybe Mae and the two fake agents weren't entirely insane. This didn't seem like an run-of-the-mill storm. They couldn't have planned something like this. Tony assumed if they were going forward with the ridiculous story about demonic possession, maybe they were going to put on a show of it. If they weren't, that left more questions than it answered.

Tony didn't have time to comment or call out to check on the other two men or Mae before the figures stirred in the long grasses. Sam and Dean sat up, no worse for the ware. Sam checked on the sheriff while Dean looked around for Mavis. She hadn't come to yet. "Mae!" He called out hoping that possibly she would answer.

Dean realized he was powerless to stop any of this, as the dark cloud circled him first before flowing over the field. The sky still swirled darkly above them but an inky black mass hovered above a spot in the grass, and Dean knew Mae had to be there.

Their plan seemed even worse now, Mae thought, as the hairs on her arms prickled up and heat built and grew around her frame. Lying in the grass, she couldn't move and more surprising found herself uttering a silent prayer over and over that this wouldn't be the last stupid thing she did.

In the distance, or what seemed like the distance, she heard her name but it seemed so far off. This was it, she knew well enough, being fully in command of her mind and thoughts now but unable to get her body to respond to them. She'd been possessed. To her surprise, it wasn't violent or angry. It wasn't uncomfortable, just strange and unfamiliar. And whatever happened next, had if someone had described it to her, she would have sworn it happened to someone one else. Everything went black, not like passing out but more like a heavy fog falling over her eyes, dulling her senses. She felt herself move but she wasn't the one doing it. Every time she tried to command her body to stop or move a different direction, she found no success.

She sat up oddly. Her movements appeared strange. If there had been any lingering doubt or hope that Mae was still Mae her stilted movement and blank look of her pale blue gray eyes. Her head cocked to the side, examining her surroundings. She stumbled slightly when she tried to stand, like a new born fawn trying to find its legs.

It was more disconcerting when she stood at her full height. The flame haired woman looked like a goddess now, even if it was a demon goddess. The cuneiform script covered her pale flesh, glowing with an unearthly red tinge. Her tall stature was accentuated somehow, perhaps only in Dean's mind. It might have been the far off, deliberate motions of her head and eyes, slightly pursed lips and something that simply screamed regal.

Regal but out of place. Dean didn't need to remind himself that this wasn't Mae. Outer packaging aside, none of this was Mae. Perhaps it was the mannerisms or the posture but the demon didn't mask itself well behind its host. "So which one are you?" He asked the figure as he got to his feet.

Her head tilted, as if to discern who he was and if he was worth any part of her time. Or maybe it was the male demon getting used to her very feminine body. Perhaps the demon was searching for the words. There was no way of telling.

Taking Mae's long legs, the demon walked towards the edge of the circle. Dean tried not to show his concern for the woman; it would only be used against him. It was impossible to know if the demon was trapped in the circle or just baiting them. It was also possible that Mae was fighting it, from the inside, pulling the demon back. As the demon looked at him with Mae's beautiful eyes, he started to doubt their ability to control her again.

It was enough to hurl the hunters into action. Both brothers scrambled forward, Sam with the chalk to draw the closing symbols of the circle they had previously laid out and cut into the tall swatches of grass. Dean was set on distracting her so he charged her.

Because they were out of better options, he went with a frontal attack that was bound to fail. They didn't have a lot of other choices. They could have shot her too but that would meant hurting her and losing control of the demon they already had. Close combat was required if they were going to put an end to the spell for good. It wasn't a good enough distraction though and he wasn't sure why he thought it would work or why he thought that the demon couldn't just as easily dispatch with both of them simultaneously.

With the sweep of her hand, she sent both men flying into the wooden rails of the split rail fence with a sickening crack. The brothers were vaguely aware that they were in over their heads. This didn't feel like any normal possession, although Sam thought, he wasn't certain what a normal possession would look or feel like. But it was a demon possessing a hunter and that could be catastrophic.

They couldn't let the demon take Mae out of the circle. That's what she had told them and that's what everyone of the spells she had in her book of shadows had indicated. Sam knew his first objective was to close the circle so they could keep her contained long enough to do the exorcism and bind the spirit to its totem. It had to work. His eyes tracked over towards the sheriff. Maybe if they had another set of hands, just to distract the demon long enough…

Catching Dean's gaze, his eyes flicked back to the restrained man. Wordlessly a plan came together between the two men. And though Dean frowned, hesitating for a mere second, in the blink of an eye, he was on his feet in a matter of moments and making his way to the sheriff.

"Keys." He barked the order with an outstretched hand, keeping one eye on the seemingly confused demon. Then, Dean realized, of course the sheriff was in no position to simply hand over his handcuff key. But then the sheriff wasn't just some dumb blond, as much as Dean would have attest otherwise.

"Right breast pocket."

With a curt nod, he flipped open the little snap that held the pocket close and was more than grateful that he didn't have to paw through the man's pants. Even though Tony was thankful to be freed, he was still skeptical. Mae seemed alright, for the most part. She was just a little off. Perhaps she was injured, the sheriff thought.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Dude, you're gonna have to be more specific. Right now, I'm doing my best to save that girl over there."

Protecting Mae provided enough reason to not fight with either man. The big question was what exactly were they supposed to be protecting her from? So far, all he could attest to being amiss was the strange weather and spooky feeling. Plus, he supposed, he could count the time he had been unable to control his body. Mae said he was possessed but he still doubted the assessment, even though he could provide no better explanation. Of all the things that were important at the moment, the biggest one was the safety of that woman. No matter what he felt for her, no matter what lies she might have told him. Something, whether it was the notion of demons or something else, she was still in danger.

"C'mon." Dean ordered, snapping Tony's attention from the lanky woman pacing the circle back to the man in the leather jacket next to him, "She's possessed. She'll be strong, stronger than you can imagine."

"There's no such thing as-"

"Yeah man, tell yourself whatever you need to but if you don't want to see her on the slab, you'll listen to me. What you need to know is that we're gonna try and take her down and it ain't gonna be easy. She's a pretty good match on her own and she's got some juice to her right now."

Arguing was moot. He'd seen what she had done, physically throwing two fairly substantial men with the flick of her wrist and he'd seen the power of that mystery cloud. "So, we're gonna try the exact same thing that didn't work? I'm pretty sure demon or not, she's not that stupid."

Dean begrudgingly agreed with that assessment. They had to come up with something before she took off. "Right, okay… Sam, hit her with the holy water or one of her damn concoctions."

Thinking, Sam decided the tried and true splash of holy water would provide enough of a distraction and deterrence to allow Dean and the sheriff to physically hold her down. He hoped that Mae's big book wasn't just fluff and fake folklore. .

Reaching into his coat pocket, he took out a flask filled with holy water, unscrewed the top and threw an arc of water at Mae. Her scream was part her own voice, part the demon's as the water caused her skin to sizzle and smoke. It also brought a furious black eyed stare directed straight at him.

With all her attention on his brother, Dean tackled her with all the force he had in his body. He went high, the sheriff went low and they managed to topple her to the ground. Slight as she might have been, even taking into account her own strength, the added power from the demon made it damn near impossible to get the perfect hold on her.

She struggled against him but something kept her from flinging him like a rag doll across the grassy, barren field again. Dean hoped that something holding back the demon's power was Mae. He hoped she was able to fight of this force. And, he hoped he wasn't hurting her too much. That thought he knew he needed to push to the back of his mind because it could be exploited and Mae wouldn't want his tender feelings for her to endanger anyone else.

"Sam! Do it!" He yelled.

He could barely hear the scuffle of his brother's shoes through the grass as he made his way to the edge of the circle in order to fill in the last few symbols. But again, he wasn't able to finish the job. Before they could do anything to help her or stop her, they were his with another profound force. The other spirit demon intervened. The second one seemed more than satisfied with the state of possessed hunter.

Dean and Tony found themselves enveloped inside the dark mass. It was uncomfortable, far too hot, and suffocating but somehow both knew it wasn't after them. It was after Mae. It swept into her with a force.

The tenuous hold Dean kept on her arms broke and she bucked both of them off with a shock of power. The next scream was all Mae and it was one that would stick in his mind for quite some time afterwards. He had heard it before, when she had fallen out of that tree. This time, it was far more pain that shock. Her scream filled their ears, filled air and didn't stop until she was out of breath.

As out of their depth they had felt before, dealing with a strange double possession wasn't anything they knew how to handle. Sam didn't even think it was possible. Demons, spirits, demigods or the unclear combination of descriptors that these ancient evils fell under didn't seem like the sharing types. Nothing he could think of followed this pattern either.

Was this her plan all along, Sam wondered. Did she know something more about what these demons were after or what they would do? He knew when she was scheming this idea, Mae hoped Pazuzu and Lamashtu would fight each other, leaving them only one to deal with the survivor. Although, she probably didn't plan for that fight to take place inside her.

There wasn't much the three men could do. They all wanted to do more than watch the woman writhe in pain and howl into the night. But what solution was there when none of them knew how to stop this. Sam and Dean knew they could try to exorcise the spirits but Sam had no idea what that would do to Mae. It could save her or it could kill her, for all he knew. For whatever reason, a though popped into his head. The figures. The figures had to play an important part, maybe being the only thing that could contain the spirit demons for any real length of time. As soon as he removed them from a jacket pocket and put them at the edge of the circle, the real fireworks started.

Mae's eyes blinked rapidly as she thrashed. Then her body went ridged and began to levitate, body slack as if controlled by an outside force pulling her up. The hairs on Dean's arms stood on end with the energy that practically vibrated around the field. Once again, he was reminded exactly how bad an idea this was. Not that he had a long list of exorcisms under his belt but this didn't seem normal.

Her body suddenly seemed to glow, more so along the patterns of the cuneiform until the glowed so white hot they had to look away. After the flash, she went ridged. Her eyes rolled back in her head as a foreign substance began dripping from her mouth, nose and eyes. It was more of an oozing smoke instead of an explosion of black the boys had seen before. The inky substance rolled from her mouth, over her cheeks as it pooled under her suspended form before it flowed into the fetish.

Dean froze, there was no way to know if she okay as her body began to shake until the flow of the substance seemed to slow. Was it fully expelled from her slim form? He didn't move until Mae began to cough and she dropped to the ground with an unceremonious thud. She turned to her side, vomiting more of the black ooze making her look far less regal than she had previously.

They still had one more demon to deal with. It wasn't safe yet and it seemed and this one wasn't going to make it easy on them. His glance flicked up to Sam, trying to assess what they needed to do next, if the first spirit demon were truly contained. He just couldn't ignore the pain and sickness that she was experiencing and had experienced so far. It might have been stupid but he would be damned if he didn't do what he could for her.


	49. Chapter 49

* * *

It was stupid, he knew it was stupid and he couldn't stop himself. Dean rushed to her and gathered her into his arms, even pressed a soft kiss to her temple. Her eyes were closed, face almost peaceful, if he ignored the black sludge around her mouth, but her heart was racing, and her breath was shallow. "Shhh… it's okay baby."

It was possible, he thought, that everything really was fine, and the demons had taken care of each other. Of course, he had to ignore the fact that they'd done very little to end the spell or exorcise the demons. Dean wasn't even sure what had happened to cause the reaction they had seen. Was it Mae or the other demon?

However, Dean functioned under a drive between uncertainty and the need to protect her. Normal, un-possessed Mavis Singer was unpredictable and dangerous, given the right circumstances. Now, she was doubly so. Having been stabbed once by her that day, he wasn't looking to give her or the demon an opportunity to do so again, or something worse. Of course, in his rush to check on her, he'd left himself open to whatever attach might come next.

As much as he had no intentions of letting the demon harm him or anyone else, the fact remained that the remaining demon was still using Mae's body and he couldn't let her suffer. He wouldn't let her be tormented like this and certainly not for something that was his fault. There was no telling what came next, but he assumed it wouldn't be good.

Suddenly, he wished he had more on him them a few switch blades, a gun and a lighter. None of that would really help him save her without hurting her. He was about to ask Sam for something to help neutralize her, keep her better under control when her quickened breath stopped, and her eyes shot open.

There was fear, panic and more than a little confusion. He knew her eyes well enough to read that, to know it was her. Her mouth opened to speak. Then those scared blue eyes turned a nasty black. Her pretty mouth formed a gleaming snarl as her hand seized around his throat tightly. Her touch was chillingly cold, and that grip was iron. "Silly boy," she hissed, "you should not trust her so readily."

The grip she held on him wasn't quite a strangle hold. It was more painful than it was incapacitating. Not that she couldn't have turned it the other way. His hands wrapped around her wrist and fingers, trying to pry her hand away. The demon in his girl's body was not to be underestimated. "I'd trust her a' hell of a lot more than you. And you aren't her, you ugly son of a bitch."

Her lips curled in a sardonic smile. He'd seen it on her face before, not often but when she was feeling mean. The difference now and the sign that she wasn't herself was those eyes. It wasn't an inky black film but the true ice behind her pale blue orbs. Her head shook and he hated the vibe that he got off the woman. Or rather, he corrected himself, the demon. It wasn't Mae.

"I am as good as you are going to get. I know her secrets." In her voice, it was an almost taunting singsong way of saying it.

Even knowing that demons could lie, did lie, Dean couldn't shake the feeling that there was some truth. He already knew there were things she was keeping from him. Would they be considered secrets? That implied she was purposefully not telling him that he needed to know. He pushed it aside because it didn't matter in the moment. She'd come through for him in a pinch, that he could trust her with his life. They both had their secrets that didn't play into that trust.

She stood, in a most awkward and inhuman way from her prostrate position having been propped against Dean's lap, as if her body were capable of any level of flexibility. Her grip on his throat never let up as she rose, lifting him right off his feet. "Maybe I will tell you a few before you die."

She brought him in closer whispering something in his ear that neither Sam nor Sheriff Brand could hear. But it set his eyes wide before they went sharp and hot. The demon was taunting him as Mae's preternatural grasp tightened on his throat. Pleased with his reaction, she laughed. With Mae's laugh. Mae's laugh but turned so cold and pitiless.

The demon wasn't giving him many options to work with. And lie or not, he had hit a nerve, the only nerve that would have left him in a blind rage. To hell with chivalry, he thought. Maybe she would at the very least appreciate the irony in his next move. Because she still held him up arm's length away from her body, he used his angle to plant a boot solidly in her solar plexus. It would have sent the woman stumbling back and short of breath with the burst of pressure to her diaphragm. The demon barely gasped and even smirked a little at the futile gesture.

But that wasn't his goal or his final move to get her to release him. With one foot planted firmly against her stomach, Dean only hesitated a moment more before he took a hold of her slender arm and used his advantage to kick her in the head. That move did cause her to lurch and loosen her iron clad grip on his throat. She dropped him and stumbled back. Free from her grip, he landed on his feet and lurched towards her again. He had caught her in the jaw and hoped that he hadn't done too much to complicate the effects of the number of times she's been hit in the head already.

The demon wiped at Mae's mouth, her blood mingling with the black residue on her lips. "Clever," she grinned in a way that made Dean's blood curdle, "I did not think you would hurt her. You can keep trying of course but you will only end up hurting until she is unusable."

"You don't know a whole hell of a lot about either of us. And you're not gonna get a chance to learn. You're goin' back where you came from."

"Nice try, boy. I have no such plans."

His lips twitched. He would have done anything to save Mae in that moment, even if it meant he had to kill her. Mae said she expected as much so he knew she would forgive him for even thinking the very idea. But that was a last resort. "Then you should have picked someone else to play with. Sam, anytime now!"

He had expected his brother to start the exorcism. Instead, he had been angling the sawed off at her torso and given the opportunity, Sam shot her. He was in close enough range that the force of the knocked her back. It was just rock salt but that wouldn't make hurt less and might have hurt the demon more. Because the rock salt sent the woman stumbling backwards, Dean tackled her to the ground again. "Now Sam! Now!"

This time Sam threw down the shotgun to go for John's journal. There was only a moment's hesitation because none of their planning around dealing with the demons went down like this. He was also aware that they had yet to bind the other demon to the fetish. It was a lucky break, he thought, that the other demon seemed calm and quiet now. They'd handled a demon once before and he was pretty sure they could save Mae if nothing else went wrong.

"No!" She screamed as Sam began reciting the exorcism rite.

Dean found his hold on her less than secure again. He shifted to straddle her, pinning her down with more force, gripping her wrists with as much strength as he thought was safe to keep from breaking her bones. She fought him, fought the spell, a strangled cry in her throat. Dean tried to push the thought out of his head, but he wasn't sure how much he was actually hurting Mae and how much was the demon trying to convince him to free her. If it were anyone else, he'd hold tight until it was done and make sure whoever was possessed was safe from the demon first. Right now, he was willing to suffer the consequences because after all, the possession was more of a problem than her possible discomfort.

She stopped trying to free herself from his grasp as much and seemed to thrash against the spell. With a throaty growl, her eyes locked on his again. "You do not realize what you are dealing with. Even if you win, you will lose."

Dean wasn't certain what the demon meant, and it didn't matter. It was probably just a last-ditch effort to stay inside the redhead before she started thrashing again. Mae threw him off her as she was lifted back in the air again, her body suspended several feet off the ground again.

The plume of black smoke shot out of her mouth and circled before pouring into the small statue. It was almost a relief to watch, aside from seeing the woman under such duress. Normal again, or as close as she would ever get, Mae seemed to come around before abruptly crumpling. Dean caught her before she hit the ground again.

It was all over so quickly but it felt like an eternity. He gathered her against his body as he knelt in the grass and weeds next to her. With a strangled gasp however, she rolled off to the side and vomited. The retching wracked her body before the dark substance and blood began to surface as she purged it from her slender body. When she was done, her breathing became heavy, almost panting as she simply lay on the ground.

Gently, he turned her back when he was sure she was done throwing up. To Dean's surprise, her eyes fluttered open and she tried to speak. "Wha—"

Those words didn't come easily, and she gasped for air, shuddering against him. Dean simply held her tightly and stroked her hair. "Shhh now. It's all over Mae. I'm right here. I won't let you go." She started coughed again as she clung to him tightly.

"You okay Red?" He asked when she quieted down again.

When she looked up at him now, her breath was shaky, but she still gave him a lopsided grin. "Way to go Max von Sydow."

He smirked, wiping at the blood and whatever the black ooze was left on her suddenly bright red-looking lips with the sleeve of his shirt. "Yeah, you're doing fine. You managed to pull it off Maeby."

This time she didn't grin or smirk or do anything more than groan and shake her head. She pushed up or tried to push up off the ground. "I've gotta-"

He tightened his arm around her middle while trying to cradle her against his body. "No. You've done enough. We'll take it from here."

He held her fast as he attempted to calm her with gentle words and stroking hands. She only fought him off for a few seconds. As she came to realize where she was and that she was safe, Mae did settle into his arms. Although Dean suspected it was more out of physical exhaustion rather than real comfort. With more than a hint of tenderness, he brushed her hair away from her face again.

Knowing that Dean was taking care of Mae, he went to work binding both spirits to the carved figurines. It was the only way they'd be safe and could stop this from happening again.

"Hey, get her some water." He said, to no one in particular as he too slowly realized that it wasn't just, he and Mae in the middle of that field.

Mae was a mess, covered in a mixture of ooze, blood, dirt and sweat. Her clothing ripped, perhaps because of the force of being possessed by such a powerful set of spirits or being tossed around so much. That was without a doubt the cause of the numerous bumps and bruises that were already starting to appear on her fair skin. More still would show up from the kicks and punches he'd delivered to her while possessed.

Tony entered the circle, holding out the flask still half full of the holy water. It was better than nothing, Dean thought. Grabbing the flask, he offered it to her once her cough settled. Most of the water ended up on his shirt as she spurted, struggled against his strong hold on her again. "Okay, you can either fight me or throw up on me but please don't do both."

Despite his complaint, her reaction to the holy water reassured him. If, somehow, she was still possessed, she would have had a far more extreme reaction. Hell, it wasn't even the first time she had thrown up on him. Although, he usually got to make out with her before that happened and, in the past, she never stabbed him. Still, he was glad to have her in one piece and because of that, he was almost happy to take care of her, even when she was puking up whatever she was puking up on him.

Even though, were she fully aware of what was going on, she would complain about it, he decided to pick her up and carry her to the car. He had no intention of putting up with her grousing about him babying her or anything that the sheriff might say. Taking care of her was the only priority he had right then.

"Is she alright?" Sheriff Brand asked, having felt useless during the whole encounter. There was no amount of training or experience that might have prepared him for watching the entire spectacle or helping either the men or the young woman. There was nothing left to do but try to help her now.

The answer was no but even if the spell hadn't left him insanely jealous, Dean still felt remarkable amounts of hostility toward the man and was not inclined to answer properly. "She look okay?"

"You should take her to the hospital."

"With a case of double possession? Believe me, we know how to take care of her." He said as he briskly made his way to his car.

Dean opened the passenger side door, shifting Mae's slim frame in his arms to do so before sliding her inside. After belting her in, he brushed her hair off her face reverently, pausing only a moment to cup her cheek. He stood up, dusting his hands off on his jeans. Sam and Tony had both approached him; Sam with a small box containing the cause of all this damage and Tony looking for answers to the multitude of questions he had after watching what he witnessed.

"Okay well, I guess this is the time where you decide if you're gonna arrest us man."

The sheriff shook his head, looking almost as pale as Mae did. "No uh… I think you might have actually done what she said you'd do."

"Yeah. Well, she doesn't tend to lie about things like this."

"You know, I'm still not sure I know what exactly happened here."

"You're in luck then, Sammy here'll explain." He pat his brother's shoulder with a quick grin, "while I deal with Princess Puke-a-lot over there." He angled a pointing thumb towards the car.

Sam would have protested but given the fact that his brother was clearly distracted by what was happening with Mae and having been stabbed by the girl of his dreams, he let Dean win this one. The drive back to the warehouse wasn't awkward, not exactly. Dean let Sam drive, opting to sit in back with Mae, making sure she was fairing alright while Sam tried to explain what had just happened.

Dean decided to unbuckle her seat belt and laid her head in his lap and stroked the tangles of red that clung off her face. He felt relief but no satisfaction at the gesture because he was so worried about her. His fingers paused to caress her soft cheek and jaw line. "Don't you leave me now baby, okay? We have way too much to do for you to slip away."

He didn't know if something like that could kill her, but it certainly didn't do her any good. It was so insane, even by their standards. Now that the worst of it was over or at least the supernatural part, he could focus on her. Any other case, they would back up and leave but bailing on her like this didn't seem right. You didn't leave a man behind. "Now listen, Red, you puke in my car and you'll be cleaning it up when you come to."

If she came to, he added to himself. That wasn't an option. He didn't have a lot of post-exorcism experience as usually they weren't left to deal with the aftermath. They didn't have any choice here. They couldn't walk away from her. Well, he supposed, they could. They could pay up her room and simply leave. But he couldn't think of a single reason why that would be okay. He _wouldn't_ walk away from her. And this time, he wasn't going to let her push him away either.

There wasn't a lot of fanfare when they parted ways with the sheriff. Even under better circumstances, Dean wouldn't have put forth much effort once he had the reassurance that the sheriff was going to let things go because even with the handful of crimes they had committed, they had stopped the demons from running riot around the town. The three strange people, despite the lies intermingled with truth, had saved the town. As the sheriff watched the taillights of the black Impala move down the road, Sheriff Tony Brand had a lot to think about.

End

* * *

A/N- This is the end of Waiting for a Coincidence, but don't fret, there's a little epilogue (It's mostly just fluff!) I have written that I'll post shortly. Since I've been going through my old work and updating it, I do have two more stories in the queue so if there's still an interest in reading more Dean/Mae, I'll revise the next installment which starts off during Faith.


	50. Chapter 50

**Epilogue**

* * *

The need for a mad-dash pack and clean of the motel rooms passed when the sheriff indicated he would let them off the hook. At the same time, Mae floated in and out of consciousness, belying the need to help her or find someone who could.

At the motel, once he had deposited Mae on her bed, Dean changed out of his dirty and batter clothes while Sam began packing their gear. Dean also knew he should get Mae cleaned up before they left. She was covered with grime, blood, and whatever she had been throwing up. Not only did she smell unpleasant, it couldn't have been comfortable as it all dried.

He felt sketchy digging through her clothes to find something clean, he tried to take it on as a strictly business endeavor. As clinically as possible, he undressed her, made sure there weren't any injuries that needed to be treated immediately, and finding none, quickly redressed her in jeans and a t-shirt.

In short order, however, they had all evidence of the hunt cleared down from the walls and all their gear packed away between both cars. They agreed Sam would drive Mae's car back and Dean would take her in his, with Sam following. Dean rousted her enough to get some direction to her house.

They were headed somewhere outside of Wilsall, Montana, which was perhaps nearby if you counted adjoining states nearby because it was a six or seven hour drive. Hours seemed like days with Mae in the state she was in. So, they were off to Wilsall. Neither had heard of the town before but were able to find it on the map. They'd drive through what remained of the night and get there by midday. There were a few bigger towns and cities along the way. But Dean was eager to get somewhere safer where they could make certain she was okay.

They'd never dealt with something as strange and confusing as a double possession, nor had they seen a reaction like hers. Sure, she responded to the holy water and the exorcism the same way, but the smoke and ooze were new to them. Although, Dean thought, he shouldn't have been surprised by how exhausted she was considering what she went through physically. It would be interesting to find out what it was like being possessed, from a hunter's perspective. Maybe it would help them get better at hunting demons. Although, after this, he wasn't in the mood to test out that theory.

Dean couldn't imagine where she called home. She didn't live in a tiny town, she lived outside of it, which was somehow not what he pictured. He couldn't put her in a big, busy city either. A woman like her might be able to fit in living in a big city but not a hunter. And he couldn't put her in the suburbs either. How could you hide all the things a hunter needed to hide around all the stay-at-home moms, kids, and nosy neighbors. But they did, he supposed. It was an interesting puzzle to try to solve.

* * *

6 hours and one pit-stop later, they were at Mae's house. She lived several miles outside the small town, where the pavement ran out and isolated enough that you could hardly see neighbors from her house. Rural was the right word for the location. They were surrounded by trees, not dense enough to be considered a forest and the house faced a pretty spectacular view of the mountains, separated only by grassy expanses. Dean had seen a small river or creek running near the house but wasn't sure if it came through the property at all. He wasn't even sure how much of the area was hers. There was a garage and a shed on the property, from what he could see from the driveway.

The cottage house with early Appalachian architecture was almost quaint looking from the outside. He almost wouldn't have believed it was hers if her keys didn't open the front door. Inside, he found himself in a sunny, vaulted, foyer with large newel posts and railing leading upstairs. To the left was the family room, with a comfortable looking sofa and chair and a stone fireplace with a TV mounted above it. There were oversized windows that let abundant sun into the room. It was homey.

There was a dining room, with a table that seemed larger than what Mae would need or use. The stone fireplace rapped around to the kitchen. In there was a huge wood butcher block in the center and plaid curtains over the window. Again, all very cute and normal.

There was a bathroom with a shower downstairs and two locked doors. Despite their curiosity, they stayed out of those. Dean moved upstairs, hoping to find her bedroom so he could get her out of his car and somewhere more relaxing. There he found another bathroom and a room that screamed hunter, as it was packed with books and other oddities. But no bed. The last room on his search was the master bedroom. Another room with bright windows, colors, and coziness.

The bed was huge, a California king and it was piled high with pillows and blankets. No thin haphazard excuses for blankets or questionable comforters. No pillows that you didn't want to think about who had slept on them and there were more than she needed, more than two people needed. It was perfect. He knew exactly why there were so many, even if all but one ended up thrown to the ground around the bed. It was about having your own anything.

Dean went back out to the car and pulled the slim, pretty woman out and carried her upstairs and placed her on the bed. He left Sam to take care of everything else, understanding that they would be staying at her place for at least a day. Sam didn't mind. It might have been the nicest place they'd stayed.

Back upstairs, Dean frowned at her. He was back to the conundrum about what to do with her now that he had her home. He could have left her in her clothes but that didn't seem particularly comfortable and she didn't tend to wear street clothes to bed. "You are not allowed to be mad about this."

Dean said as he eased her into a sitting position so he could get her tee shirt off, leaning her against his body. He realized perhaps for the first time he wasn't thinking about sex, not a lot anyway, as he undressed her with no help from the redhead. It was just his luck that Mae came to, at least part way, finding herself topless and in his arms. With a frail, almost imperceptible movement she tried to bat him away. "Hey, Grabby!"

"Don't get excited, Red, I'm just getting you ready for bed. This isn't any more fun for me."

He corrected, it wasn't much fun considering how those wide bruises were starting to look over her arms and torso. Her wrists showed reddening marks that would become dark purple in no time, all in the shape of his fingers. It was bad enough he did consider taking her to the hospital for a moment. Since, hospital visits were few and far between for them, she would have complained were she in any position to complain.

"Least you could do's by a girl a drink." She mumbled and was slurring by the end of the sentence before slumping into Dean's arms.

With a sigh he eased her head off his shoulder to ease her back down. He helped back down to the mattress before he started to undo her jeans. It almost had him laughing. He couldn't recall ever undressing an unconscious woman before or doing anything with a non-responsive girl. It wasn't a particularly rewarding experience. Moving lower, he took her shoes off for her, socks too before stripping her pants off.

And he somehow found himself both amused and more than a little surprised by what he saw. There was an angry rooster tattoo on the inside of her left ankle. He wondered how he'd missed that before but then in the throes of the spell, he'd missed the snake on her thigh and her thigh was much close to the parts he'd been interested in. Dean wondered how many tattoos she had since they kept popping up. Of course, there weren't a ton of others places she could hide one. He wanted to know why she picked the ones she had. Damn, he had missed her.

She must have had some sort of pajamas somewhere, he thought. It was her house after all. He took to examining her room with more explicit purpose. It was only partially influenced by his need to snoop through her things. He cast a glance over his shoulder, just to check to see if she was still sleeping, not that he was worried about it. Dean reassured himself that he was only making certain that he was taking care of her.

After asserting that she was safely asleep, he let his eyes wander of the warm honey colored façade of her dresser. It was, just like other parts of the house deceptively feminine. Not girly but womanly. Not that he expected her to have decorated from the Guns and Ammo catalog but the delicate glass perfume bottles, knickknacks and, oddly enough, a few pieces of nice jewelry he had never seen her wear. There was a side of her that was not a hunter at all. He could imagine worse things about her life besides being a real girl.

Smirking at the thought, he opened one of the small red containers and sniffed at the creamy, light pink lotion. Strawberry. Nothing stopped the curving of his lips as he closed his eyes. No matter how much she might have changed, there were some things that were the same and reassuring. He always remembered that softly alluring scent of her strawberry shampoo that she used growing up.

It brought up one of his happiest memories of her, when things were simple, and the only tension was anticipation. They were in love then. And her hair smelled like strawberries. She didn't smell like strawberries anymore. They'd spent days together and nothing she had smelled remotely like strawberries. Except now, he found this unused bottle of strawberry lotion. He held the tub up to his nose once more to take in the familiar scent before closing it and returning it to its spot on the dresser.

He sniffed at some of her other perfumes and lotions she kept there. It was intimate, perhaps due to the nature of the items, but not particularly personal. Those items could have existed in any house, used by any woman. The only thing that delineated the area as something unique was the old photo, probably 15 years old.

Mae, with her hair cut in a messy cap of red stood with a toothy grin alongside Bobby and Sam.

He didn't remember the exact reason the photo had been taken or where they were. Dean frowned slightly. Mae was cute and she looked quite happy, but he wasn't there. They had taken pictures together. And despite her lopsided grin or pale arms draped over his little brother's shoulders or even what he thought was genuine happiness, he couldn't help but wonder where he had been or why she had kept this particular picture.

Dean could not deny the desire to find even one picture that she had kept of him or of them together. But there wasn't one in her bedroom. He had yet to search the rest of the house, but he didn't really want to know if she had simply erased all trace of him from her life. There was every chance that before she had come to find them in Oregon that she had not only accepted never seeing him again but wanted it that way. There was every chance that she still didn't want to see him.

During all the time that passed, she was still his first love and possibly his one true love, he thought. That notion had always left the door open just enough to harbor some small hope that they would find each other again. He had always thought that it was perhaps because she was the first girl he had ever felt anything for. Maybe that was part of it. He didn't have that many loves to compare things to, but he did know that Mae was still special.

Now, he was in the unique position where he could find out if there was nothing left. Or if that hope existed for her too. He wasn't sure what they would be—friends, lovers, family—but he knew that he needed her. Casting a glance back at her sleeping form he sighed before deciding to let it rest.

He stopped snooping over the curios and trinkets on her dresser and started going through her drawers. That wasn't snooping, he told himself, as he was actually looking for pajamas. Still, he was perplexed by the amount of lacy underwear the woman had considering he only remembered her wearing black or white cotton panties and bras, all very practical. The top draw of her dresser was half regular girly type underwear and the other was her plain cotton ones. Who the hell had Mae become in their time apart?

He went through her other drawers, finding bras, t-shirts, long-sleeved shirts, tank tops and finally in the second to last drawer was pajama tops and bottoms. Grabbing the first pair he could find, he went back to Mae and propped her up, using his body to support her. "Alright, arms up, Red."

Sluggishly, she responded to his request and she lifted her arms so he could quickly put her in the clean pajama top. It had somehow gotten easier to simply talk to her while he dressed her. It just made things seem less weird, made him less nervous. "Good girl. You can lay down now."

He lay her back down and this time he didn't refrain from pressing a kiss to her forehead when he leaned down over her. "It shouldn't have taken this much for us to get here, should it? I mean how screwed up are we? I don't want to be this screwed up. I can't tell you what's going to happen but… I need a friend like you. Whatever else happens, Mae, I need you back."

He feathered his fingers through her long hair. Mae looked so pale, more than usual. It was a sickly pale, like all the blood had left her body, made more apparent by the coppery frame of hair that surrounded her face. Dean touched her face, worried that she was so cold. Her freckles were more noticeable as were the tiny scars that littered her arms, legs, hands, and everywhere else. They weren't that noticeable unless you were looking. There were larger ones too that spread long light lines over her skin. They were a familiar sight. His body held a similar assortment although they didn't blend into his darker skin.

She looked smaller than she was suddenly. Now that the demons had been exorcised and the angry lettering of the spell had vanished from her skin, they were safe, and things could go back to the way they were before. He hoped. Rationally, he knew nothing was the same as it was even a few days ago. He felt like he hadn't just tipped his hand, he had fouled up the entire game. No matter what she said about spell sex, it still felt wrong and left him feeling like they might not get things back on track. His mouth twisted in a disappointed grimace as he looked at her prone form.

Dean paused, the frown lines on his face deepened. Her shirt had ridden up and her panties had slid down just enough to expose the beginnings of another tattoo. This one appeared to be floral. He could see an assortment of green leaves and bright bursts of colorful blooms these flowers seemed to extend from hip to hip across her lovely skin. While this was yet another part of her body he should have noticed more, he did know this was a more recent addition since the last time he saw this area of her body, it was an arching scar, healed but still raised and an angry shade of pink.

He would have had to move her underwear to see more or find the scar the ink covered, and both scar and art disappeared too low beneath her cotton underwear for him to be able to claim he hadn't groped her if he investigated. She was right, he hadn't thought about the time she had come back to him. After she was hurt and had recovered, she came after him, before she left him again. That week was supposed to be a thrilling week and having her with him was a bonus. But nothing went as planned and she slipped away.

Back then, he had tried to ignore that scar, for her and for him. He didn't want her to be self-conscious, after all scars came with the territory and he didn't think its appearance took anything away from his attraction for her. But he didn't want the guilt over the whole situation to drive him crazy either. He wanted to pretend things were the way they were before she got hurt. Better even because they had just a little more freedom now that they were older. He'd been 18 and while she was still 16, during her recovery she had done whatever her school required to let her graduate early. So, they were free and clear. But he supposed the whole situation spooked her because she left after they exchanged some angry words.

With a sigh, he grabbed the bottoms from the bed and slid them on swiftly. It was a bad idea to linger with her, at her house, and with all those memories. There were so many things he would have done differently, if he knew then what he knew now. He pinched the bridge of his nose. Now, he was thoroughly exhausted, and his mind was wandering too far. Between the job, the demons, and the drive, he was longing for a good, long sleep. Hopefully, Mae wouldn't kick them out once she was in a better state.

Now that he had her in her pajamas, he tucked her into the big lush bed. It had been a long day, made longer still by having to take care of Mae. Not the act of taking care of her so much as the fact that she needed someone to take care of her. It didn't help that his leg was still killing him. Most of the blood had stopped flowing but his pant leg was caked in a combination of wet and dried blood.

Even as that weary, post-case exhaustion began to take over his body, he knew he needed to deal with the wound first. Dean toed off his boots, finding his sock had absorbed a lot of the blood that had ran down his calf. He took his over shirt off, followed by his gray tee shirt and finally his jeans. Clad only in a pair of boxer briefs and his socks, he hopped over to her bathroom, trying not to track blood all over her rug or wood floors. As reassuring as it was disturbing, her fully stocked first aid supply was easy to locate and from the looks of it, well used.

While he could have gotten Sam to take care of the injury, it was quicker to tend to his own wounds. For something that seemed to come out of nowhere, he took note of just how shallow the cut really was. It wasn't even deep enough to need stitches, he saw after having cleaned it. The woman was all the more impressive for her control and planning even if he didn't know why exactly she had stabbed him. His eyes drifted up to the mirror to watch Mae sleep for just a moment. That girl sure as hell knew more than she let on about this whole situation. "Damnit Mae…"

He stopped looking at her and went back to patching himself up. Fortunately butterfly bandages were more than enough to hold the wound together and some gauze and tape would take care of the rest. It would have been more appropriate, he supposed, to go downstairs and sleep on the couch. Maybe he could fight Sam for it. He found it strange that she didn't seem to have another bed or somewhere else to sleep but it was possible she never had guests. But what if she needed something more, he thought. What if something worse happened to her? It was more convenient, based on that logic to stay with her and try to get some sleep there. Plus, her bed looked more comfortable than any sofa or motel bed he'd seen.

* * *

Mae woke, overcome with a wave of nausea and confusion. The room was dark, but it smelled so familiar. It smelled like home. It made her wonder if the whole thing hadn't been just some horrible nightmare. But her head, her body and everything else told her otherwise. The brief assessment reminded her why she woke up and assuming she was really at home, she went sprinting into the bathroom.

Dean followed not too far behind. Again, she was throwing up, but this wasn't that horrible mix of blood and black ooze, it was mostly bile. Not that it made her feel any better. But Dean did. He had knelt beside her, pulling her hair away from her face and rubbing her back. It was reassuring in the strangest way she thought. She wasn't sure what made her know it was Dean, she just did.

"Empty?" He asked when it seemed like she was done. Mae just nodded and he scooped her up into his arms. He flushed the toilet and lowered the lid then he sat her back down. Brushing her hair out of her face, he tried to give her a relieved if not slightly amused smile. "There you go Red. Want some water?"

She nodded, accepting that she could hardly do anything more to embarrass herself in front of him. Dean was an oddly attentive nursemaid. He didn't seem to notice the way her eyes locked on him as he filled the tumbler she kept by the sink. He hadn't looked this at ease since they'd met back up, she thought. The tension that knotted his shoulders together seemed to disappear so did the small lines that framed his eyes and mouth.

"Here." he said, pressing the cool glass into her hands, "Feelin' better?"

She shook her head as she stared into the water. "No… well, actually a little. Mostly I feel like I got drunk at the worst frat party ever."

"Yeah, well you got double teamed by two strangers and ended up barfing in two different states. I'd say you have a pretty good assessment of the situation." He teased as he pushed a few stray locks of hair behind her ear.

She took a sip of the water before swishing it around her mouth, leaning over and spitting in the sink. He kept his hand on her waist as she stood and when she sat back down. It seemed a little too intimate, so he moved his hand to rub her arm. "I will say this Mavis, you've got balls."

It made her laugh even as she shook the compliment off. "I just… c'mon you would have done the same thing."

"That's how I know."

She looked away, although he saw the little way her mouth turned up. "Hey," She said rather abruptly, "you still have my necklace."

He did and he'd kept it on since she'd given it to him. It had tangled together with the amulet he wore. He reached down to pull them apart before taking hers off. "Yeah I do." He placed necklace in her open hand, "Guess it kept me safe, except from you."

That made her grin, just a bit. "I stabbed you because I thought it would make you a less attractive vessel and it seems to have worked. Besides, you totally could have avoided being stabbed but you took the bait."

True enough, he thought. Even as he'd kissed her, he knew it was too good to be true. How was he supposed to resist it though? Without the spell, he always had a nagging desire to kiss her and knowing what he knew now, he'd still kiss her. "I'm not exactly sure how much willpower you think I have."

The playful bickering was perfect, his ministrations were perfect and if they lost the part with demons, this was how she imagined being with him again would be like. Well, there would have been less vomiting too but the parts that were fun and sweet, where he was kind and watch and she didn't have her guard up all the time.

Something was still off. She squinted as if taking note of him for the first time. "Why are you in your underwear? And why were you sleeping in my bed in your underwear?"

"I don't know sweetheart, maybe because you stabbed me in the leg, threw up in my car and oh yeah, you totally got possessed. It's been a long day and I was tired, and you have one bed. You're lucky you, me, and Sam weren't up here."

Her face scrunched up. "I threw up in your car?"

"No, you came close though." He reached up to comb his hand through her hair. "I'm going to count it if you bitch about me just trying to sleep for a few hours."

His teasing aside, she did feel bad for stabbing him and leaving him to take care of her like this. "Right. Sorry about that. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, nothing but scrapes and bruises...aside from the knife wound. Don't worry honey, I'll be fine in a couple of days."

She blushed and looked away. "You can stay here. If you want, I mean."

"I wasn't about to leave before you were feeling okay enough to kick us out."

Her lips curved softly. "Really?"

"What do you think, that I'm a total ass. Besides, this might be the nicest place I've ever been allowed in, so I figure if I stay long enough, I've got squatters rights."

"Hopefully I'll be better before then. But, I mean, you can go if you want."

"What?"

"If you boys need to get on the road and look for your dad or whatever. Don't think you have to stay just because I got hurt."

Maybe, he thought, she hit her head harder than they assumed. "Mixed signals here Mae. Do you think I'd just drop you here and bail?"

All the sudden she felt caged by him kneeling in front of her in the bathroom. "I'm not dead. I'm not insanely hurt, and I can take care of myself. It wouldn't be weird if you took off. I'm used to people leaving."

There was something about the way she said that last part, that she said it at all that annoyed him and no matter how ill she might have been feeling, he had to say something about it. "How far up your ass is your head?"

His tone took her aback because even when she had offended him a little or hurt his feelings, his voice had stayed even and although she might have been reading it to it, compassionate. But this time it turned to exasperation.

"Excuse me?" she said.

"Mae, I am not trying to re-fight the fights we've had, but more often than not, you're the one doing the leaving."

It was a road she never should have gone down with Dean, not now at any rate. "I… that's not… when I… I…"

He didn't let her stuttering attempt at an explanation stop her. "I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, okay? But you did leave Bobby, you left me… and you spent so much time pushing us away that eventually we took the hint. As stubborn as I can be, I got the hint that you didn't want me around. Right now, all of that's in the past and it is what it is, but you must know that I don't want to leave you, I never did."

"I- I'm sorry." Her head dropped down as she pressed her lips together. "I'm not really...I'm not totally feeling like myself. I'm a bit scattered, I guess. I don't want to fight, really."

"It's okay, I get it. Believe me, I do but like I said, it's in the past and now… and I still meant what I said before; I'd like us to be close again."

Her eyebrow arched as she tried to steer the conversation somewhere else. "Wait, is that code for sex?"

Even her deflection into humor failed because he spoke seriously. "Not if you don't want it to be."

That made her blush comeback full force, hot against her already pale cheeks. "Really? Because that's just… not like you at all."

"Sex isn't all I think about when I think of you. Maybe you thought it was just the spell or whatever but what I said in Idaho was completely what I feel. I want to see if maybe this can work. It wouldn't be the worst thing for us to have, I don't know, a relationship. So, yeah, it wouldn't be _just_ sex."

Her lips pressed together as he squeezed her knee and looked deep into her eyes. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Because you're not just a woman. You're part of my family, not in the creepy way. Sex isn't the only thing I think of with you. I love you."

Her heart fluttered a bit, but her stomach had a hallow feeling. "Dean…"

He had no idea why he said it, aside from the fact that it had always been easy to tell her how he was feeling. But he watched the unconcealed fear wash over her face when he uttered the 'love' word. He didn't backtrack per say but he tried to clarify, to keep her from bolting. "Mae, you don't have to say anything. You don't have to do anything, just know that… you're an important part of my life, no matter what."

She didn't know what to say to that. It was a strikingly confession and one she was in no way prepared to hear. Even after everything that had happened, even when he was aware of some of her more conspicuous flaws, he still cared. Realizing that did little to explain the why since she wasn't sure she could have made the same compassion in his place. It left her wordless.

Dean wasn't sure what he expected, telling a woman that he'd spent all of a week in the past three years that he loved her, while she sat on a toilet after having possessed. There was no way, even in a perfect fantasy that it went over well, he thought. And now he couldn't just kneel in front of her and stick around for the inevitable rejection, he pat her knee again before he stood. "Okay, if you need anything, just let me know."

She grabbed his hand. "Dean...you don't have to, you know, leave… if you don't want to."

He wasn't certain why she was offering that, and lord knew he wanted to stay but there had to be a catch. "Do you want me to stay?"

Looking away, she was quite too long for comfort before she looked up at him. Her pale eyes captured something much younger and innocent than he knew she was or had ever been. She held his hand in hers as he stood in front of her. "You know when we were kids, sometimes I'd have nightmares and… and you'd let me crawl into bed with you?" He nodded, "And nothing was weird about it. I'm sure you just though I was an annoying kid, but it was better than listening to me cry all night or whatever. But it just made me feel... safe. And um, I'm a little shaken up. I could use a little safe."

It was perhaps the most honest she had been about what she needed, what she wanted, without putting some promises she made to herself or John Winchester or anyone else first. Maybe it was because she was feeling so raw and worn down. Maybe it was because she and Dean had shared so many emotionally bare moments recently.

It wasn't 'I love you' or anything close but Dean took it. Maybe, just maybe, she asked him to stay because she was comfortable enough with him to be vulnerable with him. That wasn't something he wanted from a great number of women. Hell, it wasn't what he wanted from most people but because this was Mae, he wanted it with her.

He considered the unspoken request for only a moment more. "Can we go back to bed now?" He asked as he pulled her to her feet.

"I, uh, I need to shower I think."

Now, Dean grinned, leered. "I'm more than willing to help you with that."

The smile she gave him was soft, humorously exasperated as she placed a hand to his chest and marched him back out of the bathroom. "Nice try, handsome." She said as she closed the door.

Still, the smile remained on his face as his gaze remained fixed on the door until he heard the shower start. He needed clothes. If he was going to share her bed, he was going to need to put something more on.

* * *

Alone now, she rested her head against the cool tile even as she let the heat of the water shower over of her back and surround her. She felt cold and unusual. That was the word for it, she felt unusual. When she told Dean she was shaken, it was only the tip of the iceberg. Mae wouldn't go as far as saying she didn't feel like herself, but she didn't feel quite right.

She knew she wasn't still possessed. But lingering, vague impressions of what happened swirled around her mind. Realistically, she couldn't have been possessed for more than 30 minutes, maybe 45 tops. Nothing was particularly clear, but she did remember trying with all her might to regain any bit of control. Any part of her mind or body that she could seize, she tried with all her might and she hoped it helped the boys, at least a little.

Stranger than her lack of clear memories of the event however were the memories that weren't hers at all. They were cloudy but she now had a jumble of memories surrounding things she had never done and places she had never been. They were confusing and conflicting, like nothing she had experienced before. Nothing she could do would change it and obsessing wouldn't help her feel better.

She finished washing and turned the shower off. She re-dressed and headed back out to her bedroom, finding Dean, now wearing his previously discarded shirt, turning down the corner of her bedspread. "Hey there. You're looking better."

Mae nodded as she moved towards the bed so she could get back in bed again. "I'm exhausted."

They crawled into bed together before turning out the lights. The next few moments were rather awkward as they tried to shift and get comfortable sleeping together. Exhaustion helped but Dean found that his body was a little more interested in her than the situation called for. He tried to curtail his reaction to her when she finally turned and curled against his body. Now was not the time for his heart to start pounding or his blood to start flowing.

He wasn't turned on exactly, but her body felt right as she pressed up against him. She was warm, soft, and curvy. "Is this okay?"

"Absolutely." He said with a tight throat.

If he could, he would concentrate on sleep. Her head on his shoulder and hand over his heart was as comforting as it was nerve-racking. He did not do this sort of thing. He did not take care of sick girls or cuddle with them in their plush beds so they could feel a little safer. Mae was the only woman he'd ever spent the night with in a strictly platonic way. Ever.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her a little closer. It was nice to be free of any spells or fights. Despite knowing his brother was downstairs, it felt like they were alone in their own little world with no judgments about what they were supposed to be doing or how to handle this. She nuzzled him just a bit and he turned his head to the side to kiss her forehead. "Get some sleep baby."

"However long you want to stay here, you can stay."

The invitation to stay was far more enticing than it should have been, he though. He recognized it at the olive branch it was. "Do you want me to stay?"

"Do you want to go?"

"Do you want me to go?"

"You stayed so far."

He knew a wiser man would have kept his mouth closed, took the invitation of a place to crash for a day or two while they found their next gig. But he wanted just a little more. "You can't say it, can you?"

"Say what?"

"That you _want_ me to stay. You said I could, but you never said you wanted it."

"I said you didn't have to go."

Dean didn't move, like she thought he might, but he didn't respond. She didn't want to want him, and she didn't want to need him, but those feelings were threatening to bubble out of her. Exposing that particular vulnerability was hard but she knew she could only push him so far before he actual left.

"I find having you here... it's been kinda nice, hasn't it? Aside from all the other parts that weren't."

"You drool."

Her lips curved. "I do not. You snore. And you're kinda gassy."

"Well I can see why you'd want me to stay." He said as he started rolling away from her to get out of bed.

Mae grabbed his hand, mild panic in her frame. "Dean. Stay. Please? I want you to stay."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's a wrap on Waiting for a Coincidence. I'm ready to rock and roll on the next set of updates. I've restructured Why Won't You Stay, addressing the flow issue I didn't like before. So, the next installment will be chapter 3 of Why Won't You Stay, which will close that story out. Then we'll pick things up in the new story Swing Your Heartache. Stay tuned!


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